Legacy of Legends 2
by Viperwatcher
Summary: The sequel to Legacy of Legends. With peace once again restored, the gang continues to live on normally. However, the mysteries surrounding Zaze continues to thicken, including a foreboding warning from the Chronicler. It's only a matter of time, and when that time comes, can the legends maintain the legacy of peace after the revelations occur? UPDATES REGULARLY NPROGRES R&R PLEASE
1. Chapter 1 One Week

**HEY GUYS! I AM BACK!**

**After being gone for almost 3 months and making another successful fic, which is "Legacy of Legends", I AM BACK WITH ANOTHER ONE! I hope you guys haven't forgotten about me throughout the entire time. Sorry for delaying this for a long time, I've been busy with finals and stuff. Sorry guys. Well, there's not much to say really, aside from one thing.**

******I FEED OFF REVIEWS! WITHOUT IT I DIE!**

**Well enough chit-chat from me. I think it's time I let you guys read the story for yourselves. But before that, here's a primer for you all. A refresher on the story so far. Feel free to skip it, if you feel like it.**

**Summary of Legacy of Legends**

After the events of the incident at the volcano, Spyro and Cynder find themselves resting, glad to be alive. Deciding that they should get back to Warfang, they do so; however, night falls and they are forced to make a stop, making a campsite at the very place they were at before, with Hunter the Cheetah. This in turn, led them to meeting Zaze, an energetic, cheerful, friendly dragon that had the case of amnesia. Introductions were done, and soon after, Zaze was giving his purple friend advice on how to make his feelings known to his partner.

The next day, they arrive at Warfang, where they were greeted by the three remaining Guardians, along with Sparx the Dragonfly. Excitement soon stirred as the rekindling of hope appears in the form of Zaze. Apparently he was the first dragon they had seen, aside from themselves. The Guardians immediately call upon Hunter to aide them in finding the others.

One week later, Zaze and Cynder happen to make a bet, wherein if Hunter were to appear, bearing good news, the latter were to kiss Spyro. It ends in the favor of Zaze, as the cheetah appears bearing good news for all of them. As Cynder contemplated on how to accomplish her task, Hunter shares with them his findings. The Guardians are surprised to find that many dragons actually survived the war against the Dark Master. This in turn led them to planning a party; a celebration of sorts to welcome the new age of peace. As they get busy, Cynder leads Spyro away to do her consequence. Sparx and Zaze on the other hand talk with each other, the former informing the latter of the dragonfly's relationship with the purple dragon. Braving herself, Cynder attempts to spill her feelings to Spyro, but is interrupted when the purple dragon sees the new comers, flying from the distance.

Cynder stops and decides to just wait for her next chance, as greeting the newcomers was more important. This leads them to meet Pyre, a childhood friend of the Guardians, and somewhat acting leader of the colony that arrived. Later, Zaze finds himself alone and headed to the library. Coincidentally, Volteer was also there. However, Zaze happens to find the Guardian, crying, much to his surprise. Volteer later opens up to Zaze. It would seem that Pyre's mate, Flame's mother, was Volteer's ex. They had history. However, due to him being a Guardian candidate, he was forced to end the relationship. Now, he has resigned himself to no longer put himself out there, in fear of feeling the dread of losing someone. Zaze however puts him out of his depression, and helps the Guardian in gaining confidence. The two develop a close friendship. A little later on, Zaze finds his room messed up completely. He suspects and plans to confront a certain black dragoness about it, at the party later that night.

Much to his surprise however, Zaze was wrong with his hunch. It would seem that Cynder wasn't the one that had messed up his room, as she confirms it at the party. Zaze rethinks his hunch, as Flame steps in, claiming that Zaze and Cynder were together. Crushing the claim down, Cynder asks the red dragon if he has seen the purple dragon. Flame replies that he was last seen with a companion of his, by the name of Ember.

Cynder leaves, looking rather pissed. Flame and Zaze talk, the latter finding out that Pyre seems to want to have Flame find someone 'special'. The two slowly start to develop a good friendship. On the other side of things, Spyro and Ember are chatting and having an all around good time. However things take a turn to the interesting when the latter has a rather odd request. Ember asks Spyro for him to kiss her.

The next day, Zaze wakes up to find more clues in regards who messed up his room: dirt; with nothing much to go on, he proceeds onward with his day. He even sees Pyre leaving, off to find other surviving dragons. At the other side, Sparx is in for a shocker. Sparx, who has finally decided to let go of his indifference to Cynder, is surprised to hear that Spyro had kissed Ember. The dragoness had witnessed this herself and is now trying to dissect the situation.

Moving forward. Zaze and Flame later find some time to chat, with the latter wondering who they'll be learning under, since Ignitus was no longer around. The topic slowly drifts to Ember, where Flame accidentally spills the beans on him liking the dragoness. But due to certain circumstances, he is unable to be with her. Zaze decides to ask why. Meanwhile, Cynder decides to brave herself and confront Spyro, and ask him if he was in a relationship with Ember, due to the kiss she had seen.

Moving back, Flame tells Zaze the reason. Apparently, he believes that Ember has her sights on Spyro, missing him completely. As the latter comforts him by giving advice, they head into the Guardians' Room to find out that there is a competition being held, and the winner will be heralded as the new Fire Guardian. The two immediately head over to see the spectacle. However, they arrive rather late and miss the event altogether. Heading back, they bump into Ember who tells a piece of shocking news. Apparently, Flare, the victor of the competition thus will be the new Guardian, is a she.

Back with Cynder, the confrontation went rather smoothly and things went well. The two soon find out that they've been harbouring feelings from each other, and it just flowed like a river from there. There mate status is sealed with a kiss. As things went fine there, it also is also the same for Volteer. Apparently, Flare was an old companion of his from his distant past. The two take time to catch up with each other.

Going to Zaze and Flame, the former, wanting to help the latter, decides to prove a point. Wanting to prove that Spyro isn't who Ember was looking for, Zaze decides to take her on a date. Much to Flame's surprise, she accepts; point proven.

Terrador and Sparx on the other hand were chatting when the latter wonders how Terrador seems to know Flare. Terrador proceeds to clarify. All the stuff he knew came from Volteer. Apparently the two, Volteer and Flare, used to be partners. Guardian candidates were occasionally sent to do missions, ranging from simple delivery missions to rather complex and not to mention dangerous ones. Terrador was strong enough to hold his own ground, unlike Volteer. The chatting ends as the two parted. Sparx is later joined by Spyro and Zaze. The two are somewhat surprised to find Zaze "hanging out" with Ember, which Sparx translated to as "having a date" with her. The two give him their good lucks. As Zaze leaves, Spyro unwittingly spills the beans onto Sparx. The dragonfly soon finds out that the purple dragon has finally someone.

Ember wasn't fairing the same way however. Zaze breaks to her the news that he came to "hang out" and not to go on a date. Sad, but true; Zaze then decides to ask her if she had a thing for Spyro, his main motive for doing the meet up in the first place. Things get clarified as she states that he likes Spyro, yes, but not in a romantic sense. Zaze then decides to ask his next main question, and that was if she liked Flame. She replies rather vaguely, to which Zaze decides to push, stating to her that Flame actually liked her. However, before he could finish his sentence, a sudden and quite abrupt headache attack washes over him, making him lose consciousness on the spot.

He wakes up some time later, to find himself in a place none other than the Chronicler's Lair, at White Isle. There he is greeted by the new Chronicler, Ignitus. He is told that he has book dedicated to his life, same as everyone else. A thought comes across his mind. He asks if he may read his book, to read about his past life, thus solving his amnesia. He is turned down however, as only the Chronicler has the ability to read the books. He isn't allowed to tell him either, since the Chronicler is bound to an oath of secrecy. No Chronicler is ever allowed to meddle, serving only as the dragon that records Dragon History; such is the consequence for the amount of power. The only reason he appeared before Zaze, is because it was written as such in the electric dragon's book. The Chronicler then continues on, saying that Zaze is the dragon that will save the Dragon Realms from an impending danger. The dragon however, downright refuses, saying that Spyro is the more ideal dragon. Ignitus replies that Spyro isn't capable of doing so, under the circumstances he was in. With all that said and done, Ignitus sends Zaze off, no longer answering the questions of the confused dragon.

The next day, the newly minted Fire Guardian, Flare has her thoughts scattered, as she remembers what happened yesterday. Zaze had appeared before her and quite blatantly told her to just tell Volteer what she felt. The electric dragon had picked up on the subliminal messages and came to the conclusion that Flare liked Volteer. And he was right on the money. She tried to deny it but failed. She had feelings for the dragon. But she couldn't bring herself to tell him, since he was still clearly recovering from the death of his ex.

On the brighter side, Zaze, Flame, Ember and Cynder found themselves entering the Training Dojo. The two males, under a bet, wanted to spar with each other to find out who was the better one. Spyro wasn't around since he had errands to do for Terrador. As Flame prepares himself for the fight, his mind wanders to what he had done yesterday.

He had asked the Guardians yesterday for advice as to what to do. Zaze had become his rival of sorts after all. In the end, he was given advice to settle the score with a sparring match. Victor gets all the spoils. The stuff their bets were made off. And that's why they were doing this match to begin with.

The match begins with the two going all out, to try and incapacitate the other. However things take a sudden twist when Zaze decides to give up, after getting knocked down by Flame. That was his agenda all along. He just took on the bet to give Flame the courage to speak to Ember. Zaze was indeed always the bridge, and never the crosser.

The victory celebration is soon stopped when Spyro appears. A quick chat and a minor slip up later, everyone is soon congratulating Spyro and Cynder, as the news of their relationship, officially, just got out. Moments later, Sparx arrives at the Training Dojo to find Spyro and Flame sparring. All of them sit along the sidelines, eagerly watching the exciting match. Things do get exciting, but not in a good way. Out of the blue, Spyro uses Convexity on Flame. Zaze, thinking quickly, uses his element to jumpstart his body, giving him the ability of lightning speed. This in turn saved Flame from a quick and painful death. They leave, heading immediately to the infirmary, leaving Spyro alone at the Training Dojo.

With Cyril's medical training, they are able to save Flame. Zaze's valiant effort however, had its consequences. Using his lighting speed technique leaves his body twitching afterwards, which was easily cured with a tonic given by Cyril. He remarks that they are running out of medical supplies, and is understaffed. Ember volunteers to take care of Flame in the meantime that Cyril is gone. And with that, Sparx, Cynder and Zaze leave the room, still shaken up by the event that happened.

Deciding to take a breather, Zaze wanders down the hall, heading to his room. He is, however, sidetracked when he happens to stumble into a room. It was unknown to him that he had actually entered the Grotto, where the Pool of Visions resided. Thinking the pool in the middle is for nothing, he leaves, until something actually happened. The pool caught his attention, and he peers into it, only to be bombarded with visions. Zaze sees Warfang, under siege once again, led by a dragon covered in black aura. As he regains his composure, the "dream" he had that involved the Chronicler rang in his ears; specifically, the mention of him being the saviour of the Dragon Realms. Later he confirms his horror, when he asks Volteer what the pool was for. It is then he realizes that what he saw is actually, the future.

But Zaze, being Zaze, decides to keep this to himself for now. He didn't want to outright blurt this sort of thing out in the open. They'd think he was crazy. And besides, maybe he was just seeing things. Changing the topic around, the electric dragon decides to have a chat with the Electric Guardian, wondering why he was in the library in the first place. However, due to a minor slip up, Volteer blurts out something he never thought he'd say himself. He mentions that he actually likes Flare. Things get clarified later on though, as the Guardian tells Zaze that he can't handle a relationship right now. He was still stricken with grief. He was clamming up and shunning everyone out. Zaze talks some sense into him, and succeeds. The Guardian decides to give himself a second chance, and plans on catching up with Flare.

At the infirmary on the other hand, things get happier as Flame finally recovers and wakes up. Ember gets him up to speed and does also another. She braves herself and asks him the question, if he actually liked her.

Outside, Flare stands, bored. She finished all her Guardian duties, and she was completely bored with nothing to do. Luckily though, Cyril arrives and invites her to go with him as he does some errands. The Ice Guardian then proceeds to go to the Gem Depot, a shop that sells the gems that populate the Dragon Realms; a distributor of sorts, with their supplies coming directly from the moles' mines. There Cyril manages to place the order they need, solving the lack of gems they have in the Temple. He, or they, gets this for free, because of an old agreement, dating way back to the time of the Ancestors, between the dragons and moles, as he explains to a puzzled Flare.

Listening to Zaze's advice, Volteer heads out and is soon wandering the streets of Warfang as well. There he bumps into a familiar face, Hunter, along with his eagle, Chase. Inevitably, he crosses paths with the dragon he was looking for, Flare. The two hit off, with the latter feeling happy that Volteer was back to his old, happy, talkative' self again. The happy atmosphere also translated back to the infirmary as Ember nervously waited for Flame's response. The two soon find out that they've been having the same feelings for each other after all and seal the deal with a kiss.

An hour later, Volteer and Flare have been hanging out and overall having a great time. But all good things must come to an end. As they head back up the stairs, heading to the Temple, Volteer braves himself to ask her if she wants to start dating. He gets interrupted by none other than the dragon that Flare fought back at the Ascension Competition, Pyrus. He comes with an odd request. Seeing as learning from your mistakes is the best way to get experience, he asks Flare if she is willing to have him as a temporary student for the time being.

Meanwhile, Zaze is keeping Flame company as he hangs out with him at the infirmary. They talk and slowly drift into a specific topic of relationships. There Flame asks Zaze if he has found "someone", like he found Ember. The electric dragon replies nonchalantly, saying it's not worth his time. A few moments later, Ember and Cyril enter the room. They are informed that Spyro has been reprimanded quite badly for what he has done, and was now doing hard exercises given by Terrador. Later that night, Zaze encounters Spyro, who was looking worse than ever. He asks if he can apologize for him for what he has done. Zaze agrees and watch as the dragon grimaces, saying he's been having strong headaches as of late. Zaze could only watch as Spyro walk away, looking tired as ever.

The next day, news of Flare taking up an apprentice is beginning to spread around the Temple, and its effects were showing on a certain Guardian. Volteer walks around grouchy, trying to deny a blatant fact. He's downright jealous, and just wouldn't admit it. The other guardians however, have their own paws filled as they realize that a special time was beginning to near. It was time to give the "talk" to their fellow young dragons, since most of them haven't received it yet. At the Training Dojo, Pyrus, Flare, Flame and Ember are there, having their first class. Pyrus finally shows his motives as he tells Flare that he actually came because he wanted a rematch, since he lost back at the Ascension Competition; however, Volteer later stumbles upon the two, at the Training Dojo, in a rather…sexual position.

But Volteer just sees the ending of a rather epic fight. Earlier, Pyrus and Flare sparred, both equally giving it their all. But Pyrus won, and coincidentally lands atop of Flare. And in reality, Pyrus is mated and already has hatchlings. But Volteer fails to know that and has his heartbroken completely. Zaze could only comfort the old Guardian.

A little later, a bit of good news sweeps up, as news of Pyre's arrival is intercepted. His mission was a success and has found more dragons that had survived the entire incident. But on Volteer's side, the electric guardian was in pieces. Luckily for him though, Flare arrives in his room, and she clarifies what exactly happened back at the Training Dojo. With truths being spilled out, Volteer decides to spill his feelings for Flare as well, and wouldn't you know it, the two hit off quite nicely. Another successful relationship, brought out about by Zaze's matchmaking.

The next day, many more things happen. Zaze manages to find another piece of clue that he failed to realize before. A clue to case nearly long forgotten; said case was the one about who messed up his room around the time of the party. This time he got the clue of fire. It isn't much to go on, but he made a mental note about it. But the main event was the fact that Pyre had arrived, bringing about many more dragons into the Temple. Two of which, Zaze got to talk to. Alyssa, a healer, and Manuel her younger brother; Cyril actually sought out Alyssa, wondering if she wanted to work at the Temple, since they were understaffed. However, the response he got was a big slap to the face, shocking everyone completely. Apparently, he and Alyssa had history. The problem was, he couldn't remember it.

On the other side, Flame is fairing better than Cyril. He tells the news of him and Ember finally together, and his father receives it quite well, and even gives his well wishes. Cynder on the other hand is also on the same level, as he meets Manuel, and easily befriends him. But a little later, things get a bit out of hand, as tempers rise, as Cyril confronts Alyssa on her behaviour. That wasn't the only thing that was confronted. Zaze too had an encounter, as he sees his door ajar, and wonders if the culprit that had been messing up his room, would finally be caught by him, red handed.

His efforts are in vain as he finds the culprit nowhere in his room. What he does hear however shock him. He hears a scream, coming from outside. Without missing a beat, he jumps out the window and flies to the scene. There Zaze finds himself a dragoness frozen in ice. Manuel and Cynder later arrive to the scene, to help him rescue the poor dragoness.

After a rather near death situation later, they get her out of the ice and back to the infirmary. Her name is Latis, the apprentice of Alyssa. And apparently the one that had attacked her was a black dragon. With the excitement dying down, Zaze gets to snoop around and hears that the issue between Alyssa and Cyril aren't getting any better. In fact it's getting worse. Zaze decides to give the guardian some advice, and talk some sense into him. Later that night, Cyril follows Zaze's advices and talks to Alyssa calmly. That was when Alyssa finally tells the reason why she acted that way to Cyril. Apparently, she and Cyril did have history. They were together for a short time, and even mated. It meant the whole world to her. However, Cyril thought different. To him, it was just one of the many relationships he had as a playboy. And that was why Alyssa hated him. He didn't apologize to her. And now that she actually told him what he had done, he had the nerve to even ask her what was wrong with his actions. This earned Cyril another well placed slap to the face. Zaze hears about this later on from Alyssa, and decides to talk some sense into Cyril one more time.

The next day, he did so. But things got a bit out of hand. After a heated argument, Zaze ended up giving Cyril a punch to the face. But it never came. Latis had managed to stop him in time. However, she equally reprimanded Cyril, after hearing what the argument was about. And she topped it off by slapping Cyril across the face, before taking Zaze to the infirmary. He had developed a cough, and it needed to be treated, before it became worse.

Outside, Cyril is contemplating the recent events that transpired. He just got told off by two younger dragons. He needed to look at what he had done with his life. So he finds himself walking, walking and walking, contemplating if what he had done to Alyssa was truly a bad thing. He even walks into Pyre, who also talks some sense into him. But earlier however, things looked far bleak than Cyril's situation. Manuel and Flare find themselves looking at a dead body of a dragon in the Temple.

Spyro is immediately dispatched, and news of the situation spreads quickly. Cynder, Sparx, Flame, Ember, Latis, and Zaze arrive at the crime scene to find the body. Identified as Kastel, but cause of death was unknown. He was skewered by a metal spike, but that didn't kill him. It was mystery, and it was one that Zaze wanted to solve. Unfortunately though, suspicion falls upon Zaze, as he has no alibi whatsoever out of all of them. But with some thinking, and some time, Zaze deduces who had killed the poor dragon. It should be noted that Cyril by now tried to apologize to Alyssa, but the latter was too busy to talk. Their talk is put on hold.

Kastel's killer was a shocker too all of them.

The confrontation happens at the rooftop, with Zaze accompanied by Latis, stopping Spyro and Cynder from entering the Temple. The culprit was Spyro, but not Spyro. It turned out that Spyro is under the control of Darkness, but not his own darkness. And this darkness seems to know who Zaze is.

However, the Darkness wants Zaze out of the picture, for a reason he didn't disclose. The fight began but ended terribly. They were beaten; badly. Zaze watched in horror as the Dark Dragon tried to finish of Latis. Summoning all his strength, he attacked.

Attacked with the element of Convexity.

Cynder was shocked to see this, but it did the job. The Darkness that engulfed Spyro was gone and he was alive, but out cold. Zaze was in the same condition. The two immediately bring the two some medical attention.

So many questions raced through Cynder's head as she gently carried Zaze's body.

But one question stuck the most.

Who is Zaze the Dragon?

**End of Summary for Legacy of Legends**

**I do advise you though to read _"_Legacy of Legends". This _is_ a summary, so there may be a few details that had been left out.**

**There may be some plot holes that I may have overlooked, I apologize in advance. I tried my best in making all the canon characters stay in character, but I had to improvise at certain points, since I really couldn't imagine how would they react.************Lastly, Spyro fanfic fans ********who are reading this, ********please take ********note.******** I am not a pro at writing so don't expect me to be great because _I'm not_. Got that?**

**So with all that said and done, I present the 1st chapter of my new story,**

**Legacy of Legends 2**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 1

One Week

All he could feel was nothingness.

He was floating in a black space, going in and out of reality. His memory flashed right before his eyes, giving him vague and hazy glimpses of what had happened before.

He remembered being carried gently on someone's back. A disembodied voice echoing in his ear, telling him everything was going to be alright. But everything felt bleak. His body, mind and practically every part of him ached for an unknown reason. He felt tired. He was slipping in and out of consciousness, the passage of time lost to him. At one point, he felt he was being carried. The next, he was lying on something soft and warm, worried voices echoing around him. Sleep felt good. The voices began to soften as he slowly zoned out. And before he knew it, he was fast asleep, in a deep calm sleep.

0

He didn't know when he had woken up. But the first thing he felt was something warm resting on his side. Zaze groaned as he came to. His body ached for lying so still. His throat felt dry and his stomach growled as it hungered for food. He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was a familiar face.

"Zaze!" He was then immediately pulled into a somewhat crushing bear hug. The air in his lungs left him.  
"I can't breathe..." he croaked.  
The dragoness quickly let up. "Sorry about that."

Zaze coughed and groaned. He looked at Latis, who was wiping her cheeks.

"W-what happened? Were you crying…?"

Latis smiled at him and shook her head. "There was just…something in my eye."

Zaze smiled wryly at her. "Why do I feel like I've been struck by a boulder over and over again…?"

"That's because you injuries mimic it, that's why."

Zaze tried to sit up, to see who had talked, but was quickly, but gently, pushed back down by Latis. She shook her head. "No. You shouldn't push yourself."

"Oh Latis, Zaze can take care of himself," the owner of the voice showing herself. It was Alyssa, the resident medical dragon of the Temple. "How are you feeling Zaze?"

"Do I seriously have to answer that?" Zaze said, raising a somewhat annoyed brow.

"I can take that as an answer. No surprise though, you were badly injured. You were in a coma."

"I was!?" Zaze asked, completely taken aback. "How long was I out?"

"You were out for seven days," replied Latis.

Zaze blinked. He didn't know he was that injured. Immediately, a thought came to mind as the memories came flooding into him.

"How is—"

"Spyro's fine," Alyssa assured him. "He's in a coma like you were though."

She directed their attention to the bed beside Zaze. Right there, resting on the bed was the legendary purple dragon, Spyro. Sleeping peacefully beside him was Cynder. Zaze sighed with relief as he knew the others were safe. He was about to ask how he was, but a sound interrupted him. It was his stomach.

"Looks like someone's hungry," Alyssa said with a smile.

"Yeah…I kind of am." Zaze hadn't exactly eaten for seven days.

Latis looked at Alyssa. "I'll take him to the Dining Hall."

"You go do that. I have to attend to Spyro. If Zaze woke up now, he should be waking up soon too."

0

The two dragons walked down the halls of the Temple. The first thing noticed was the amount of the dragons in the Temple. As soon as they got out of the infirmary, which was relaxingly quiet, they entered the halls of the Temple, which was completely the opposite. Looking left and right, dragons of all colors were everywhere. Males were chatting with females. Some were carrying books, looking rather busy. Others were just downright laughing and having a goodtime. It was an atmosphere you'd normally see in school.

"Why are there so many dragons?" Zaze asked, as he walked close to Latis.

"Oh that's right. You've got a lot to learn Zaze," replied Latis, looking at him.

Zaze smiled. "Would you like to inform me?"

Latis smiled. "Well, while you were under, a lot has happened. For one thing, school officially started. As in, enrolment for students has begun, and the dragons you see here will probably end up being our classmates at some point."

Zaze nodded. "I see, but I don't get it. This is a Dragon Temple and all, but didn't we just get attack by a Dark Dragon?"

Latis shushed him quietly which he quickly understood. "I know that. Everyone who was in the Temple that day knows. But the Guardians opted to keep it all under wraps."

"Why?"

"Because we don't want to cause panic."

"Panic? Why would there be panic?"

"Because, don't you see? The dragon population is still recovering from the battle with the Dark Master, Malefor. And you know that Dark Dragons are associated with dragons like him. It's not that hard to suggest that maybe he's still alive and made the Dark Dragon that attacked us."

"Ah…I get it. Some may not believe us when we say it was actually Spyro that attacked or, more specifically, the darkness that existed in him."

"Yeah; but we have informed a few select individuals. Pyre and Chief Prowlus."

"Understandable."

"So yeah, keeping it under wraps, we continued on as normal, and to our surprise more and more dragons began to arrive. And before we knew it, enrolment began."

"And this is all happened while I was under?"

"Yes, while you two were under."

"I guess I missed a lot, huh?"

"You did."

The two soon arrived at the Dining Hall. The place was bustling with activity, as dragons were there, busy chatting and eating. None of which paid any heed to them whatsoever as they entered. Grabbing their food, they seated themselves at one of the free tables and Zaze finally got a taste of food, after a long time.

"Is that who I think it is…?"

"Wait…that's…"

"ZAZE!"

Zaze turned around to find a familiar red dragon. It was none other than his good friend, Flame, followed by an ice dragon by the name of Manuel. Flame immediately went up to Zaze, and hugged him. Manuel just proceeded to smile and look at him.

"They never told us you woke up already!" Flame said.

"You definitely look better than usual," said Manuel.

"Easy guys, he just got out of the infirmary. The way you're squeezing him, Flame, will probably end up with him going back there," said Latis.

Flame just smiled jokingly, letting go of Zaze who just stared at him.

"You know you're lucky," remarked Flame.

"Huh?"

"You are one lucky dragon for surviving an encounter with the Darkness. If Latis and the others didn't get you medical attention fast enough, you would have died," said Manuel.

"Speaking of Latis, has she told you yet that she didn't leave your side during your one week coma?" Flame said, looking at Latis. The dragoness immediately blinked, seeing Zaze turn to face her.

"You did?" Zaze asked. He didn't expect that from her.

Latis smiled sheepishly. "Well, that was part of my duty, being a medical dragon and all. I had to make sure you were safe, along with Spyro."

"Thanks for that, Latis," he replied.

"So Zaze, did you hear, classes are going to start?" Manuel asked.

"I did…and I'm not really looking forward to it," he replied.

"Why not?" asked Flame.

Zaze sighed, and dropped the piece of fruit he was eating. "Well, why do we have to study?"

"What do you mean?" Latis asked.

Zaze elaborated. "I mean, why do we have to study? All we need to know is to learn how to hunt, to fly, and to master our elements to survive. What's the point of learning other stuff, like history and stuff?"

"Well Zaze," a voice answered. "The main reason why we dragons should go to school is for us to learn. Learn all the stuff you said, and then some. It is important for us to know dragon history, as it is a sign of respect to our ancestors, and to prevent ourselves from making the same mistakes that they did."

The four dragons turned around, to find the Guardian of Electricity, Volteer, smirking at them.

"Volteer!" Zaze exclaimed, looking up at him.

"Nice to see you too, Zaze; I do hope you're feeling better now."

"I'm peachy," he replied.

"Since you know that school is back on track, I do assume you also know of the current status of your lodging?"

"Lodging? What do you mean?" Zaze asked.

"I guess not," said Volteer. "Well Zaze, due to the sheer amount of students enrolling, we had to group them for lodging."

Zaze just stared at him, not really understanding it. "He means we'll be rooming with each other for the duration of our stay here. Some can choose to live here throughout their entire time studying whilst others can leave after their classes." said Flame.

"Oh! I get it," said Zaze. "Who will be my roommates?"

"Spyro," replied Manuel. "I for one will be rooming with Flame."

"And I will be rooming with Cynder and Ember," replied Latis.

"Wow, we all seem to be together, isn't this supposed to be like random?" Zaze asked, turning to Latis.

"It is actually," said Volteer, lowering his voice. "But a little bias never hurt anyone."

0

Later, Zaze and Latis walked down the corridor and into the Temple Grounds. The place was surprisingly quiet, with only a few dragons hanging about. It was definitely peaceful here, compared to the indoors.

"You wanted to talk?" Zaze asked. Earlier, after they ate, Latis had asked Zaze to go somewhere private.

"Yes," Latis said, turning around to face him. The two stopped under the shade of a tree. "You remember what happened back at the rooftop?"

"The fight?" Zaze asked.

His brain was working fine now, and he could easily access the memory. And there were a lot of them. With just one word, images began to flash in his head: Spyro turning dark, becoming the Dark Dragon that they fought; The Dark Dragon seemingly knowing who he was; them fighting it out with all they've got; and even the image of Latis' face as death nearly grabbed her by the claws. The last one seemed to be engraved in Zaze's head. He never ever wanted to see Latis in that situation again.

"Yes, the fight. Listen Zaze, do you remember what you did to beat the Dark Dragon?" she asked.

"Uh…" The memory was hazy, but it was there. "I remember using a strong element…I think it was…"

"Convexity," said Latis. The word seemed to hang in the air ominously. Zaze looked discomforted.

"Was it really…?" Zaze asked, trying to wrap his head around it. Of course any dragon would have a hard time trying to understand it. No other dragon, aside from the Purple Dragon and, for a special case, Cynder, was able to use Convexity.

"I saw it myself. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have believe Cynder when she told me a while later. Don't worry Zaze, we haven't told anyone yet. That's why no one seems to be asking you about it. The only dragons that know about your…secret, is me and Cynder."

"Thank you…" said Zaze.

"Do you know how you did it?" asked Latis.

"No…not really; I just…I just wanted to save you…badly. I didn't want you to die. I don't want anyone to die because of me." Latis blinked, hearing Zaze. "And I just kind of…pushed myself I suppose."

"Well Zaze, thank you. Without you, I wouldn't be here right now." Zaze smiled. "Does this jog your memory somehow?"

"No…still nothing. I still don't remember who I am. And my new found…ability, doesn't help either."

"Speaking of which, I don't think you should use your new ability as much."

"Why?"

"I think that's the main reason why you were in a coma. Our analysis shows that your body had internal damage. And we both know that all we got from that fight were external injuries: Cuts, wounds and bruises, nothing more. I think your body can't handle the element."

"I'll make a mental note of that," said Zaze. "I guess I'll only use it, when I really have to use it."

"Okay, that's a promise then. I can't really say for sure what'll happen to you if you do it again," said Latis.

"Yeah…maybe it'll be worse than being in a coma."

Latis looked to the side when she saw someone approaching them. It was clearly evident as to who it was, when everyone else that was at the area stopped doing what they were doing, and turned their heads. It was none other than Spyro and Cynder, the purple dragon leaning on Cynder for support. Zaze smiled as the two stood in front of them.

"Well you definitely look better," said Zaze.

"I can say the same for you," said Spyro.

"How are you feeling Spyro? Especially after being in a coma just a few moments earlier." Latis asked.

"Peachy," replied Spyro. "I feel like I've been hit by a boulder."

"What are you doing up and about walking anyway?" she asked him.

"I told him to wait until he was better, but he insisted," said Cynder.

"I came here to thank you Zaze, and say sorry to you Latis," said Spyro.

"Thank me? For what?" Zaze asked.

"My memories are hazy, but there here. I saw what I did to you guys," said Spyro. "Which is why I am saying sorry to you Latis; I promise I won't ever do that again."

"I understand Spyro, you weren't yourself," said Latis.  
"Yeah Spyro, no big deal," said Zaze.

"Especially you Zaze. Cynder has informed me to keep this between the four of us; you know, you being able to use you know what," he said.

Zaze just chuckled nervously. "Even I myself don't know how I did it."

"Nobody does," said Cynder. "But it's helpful to know that it's there."

"I'm guessing you probably know what's going to happen now right?" asked Zaze.

"I'm excited actually. I've never been to school."

"Good for you," said Zaze. "By the way Spyro, do you snore?"

"No Zaze, I don't. Do you?" Spyro counter-asked, already being filled in with the whole lodging situation.

"No."

"Then were all going to be fine then. This should be interesting."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**This chapter serves more of as a refresher.**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**


	2. Chapter 2 Warnings

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Warnings

Zaze was snoring peacefully as he tipped to the side. His dreams were somewhat an odd mix, involving him and Spyro running around chasing sheep. When they were near them, they'd attack the sheep with their elements, and the animals would burst into a cloud of dust, releasing colorful butterflies that Sparx would proceed to eat. It was a very odd dream, but a dream nonetheless. But his nonsensical dream would come to an end as he felt a tapping sensation at his back.

He groaned, rolling to the side. Maybe it was Spyro's tail tapping him. The cushions they slept in were considerably close. But no, it wasn't Spyro's tail. The tapping was getting stronger now, and he was actually getting pushed gently.

"Wake up," a voice called.

He groaned and rolled over, scratching his cheek. Zaze didn't like being woken up from such a good sleep. Especially now, since his dream had changed and he was now fighting alongside Spyro; together, he and the purple dragon were saving other dragons who had apparently turned to emerald green statues. They'd walk up to them, and using their element, managed to break the curse that was sent upon them by an unseen enemy. It felt real and vivid.

"Zaze, wake up." It was louder now, but still gentle. With gentle prodding, Zaze was rocked back into reality, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"What…what is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. The first thing he saw was a blue teal colored dragon. He immediately knew who this dragon was. They had met before.

"And the dragon wakes," he remarked as Zaze stood up.

Zaze sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Ignitus? What do you want?"

"Not as perky as before…"

"You try being woken up from having such a good dream," Zaze yawned. "You're lucky I'm a morning dragon."

Ignitus knew full well what he meant. Being woken up from a good sleep is bad. "Point taken. Anyways, how are you feeling Zaze?"

Zaze looked at him. "Peachy; sleepy but okay."

"I see, so I am assuming that you've gotten to know that you have…a new power within you?" Ignitus asked.

Zaze immediately perked up, sleep zapping out of him. "Yeah, Convexity; how did you—never mind. You read my book." Ignitus nodded.

"I trust that you have already been warned about this by a dear friend?"

It was Zaze's turn to nod. "Yes, Latis told me I shouldn't use it."

"And with good reason," Ignitus responded. "Using Convexity would only tear apart your body. You're lucky you only got a coma out of it."

"But that's just it Ignitus, how do I have Convexity? Aren't purple dragons the only ones capable of wielding it?"

"Yes. They are the only ones. Cynder is an exception because she has been corrupted by the Darkness. You however…have you been touched by the darkness?"

"I don't think so," Zaze replied trying to think about it. "I don't remember." Zaze then turned to look at Ignitus was who was looking at him.

"You know don't you?"

There was a short pause as Zaze waited for Ignitus to answer. It would seem as if he was actually deciding whether or not to answer the question. But it came inevitably.

Ignitus nodded. "I do."

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"I can't. Remember the oath?"

Zaze sighed out of annoyance. "Then why did you bring me here anyway?"

"I am here to inform you of what is to come; a warning. Remember it well."

Zaze nodded paying attention and listening intently.

"Not all is what it seems to be, and the first try is not the last."

"…that's it?" Zaze asked.

"Yes, Zaze, that is it."

"How is that even a warning? What am I being warned about? You sure know how to be vague."

Ignitus smiled. "I try not to."

"Is that all then?" Zaze smiled wryly. "Am I going to sleep now?"

"Yes, Zaze, yes you are."

0

The next thing Zaze knew, he was back with Spyro and Sparx saving the world by freeing the dragons who were frozen in emeralds. It was as if the time with the Chronicler never happened. Seeing that Sparx was becoming weaker, Zaze shot another animal and causing another butterfly to appear for him to eat and regain his strength.

"Come on, Zaze! We have several other dragons to save!" Spyro called to Zaze.

"Do you really think you can do better than me?" Zaze countered playfully.

Even though they knew that they had to save the others, they were also having fun, making it a game. But before Zaze continued, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. One of the emerald statues seemed different from the others. He couldn't explain how. It just did. As he continued to walk toward the statue, it began to change in appearance. The first noticeable change was that it was a dragoness. Next he noticed that she wasn't an adult, she was a dragoness the same age as him. He couldn't explain how he knew it, but he knew that this statue was Latis.

Zaze was about to free Latis from the emerald. But as he moved closer, time seemed to slow down for him, making him move slower. Then it began to feel like something was holding him back, as if something was trying to prevent him from freeing her.

_Zaze…_

Zaze suddenly heard, or perhaps sensed Latis calling out to him. She needed his help. But the harder he tried to reach her, the harder it was for him to actually reach her.

_Zaze…_

Zaze was almost there. He was so close, and yet so far. She was just inches from his reach, and yet whatever was preventing him to reach her made it feel more like miles.

0

"Zaze!" Latis said as she tried to shake the electric dragon awake, "Zaze…wake up!"

Zaze suddenly shot up, waking up in a cold sweat. His dream wasn't a nightmare per se. But Zaze was unable to get to Latis. And even worse, he was taken from that dream right before he could save her. So even though it wasn't a nightmare, it was by definition a bad dream. And suddenly shooting awake the way he did left in the mind-set that he was still in the dream.

"Latis!" Zaze cried in fear.

"Zaze! Calm down, what's wrong?" Latis asked, trying to calm Zaze down.

"Latis?! You're okay! But how?" Zaze asked, trying to regain his senses.

"I'm fine," Latis said.

"I think maybe he was having a bad dream," Spyro suggested.

"A…A dream?" Zaze said as he began to regain his senses.

"That's right. It was just a bad dream," Latis told Zaze as he began to realize where he really was, "Zaze, you overslept."

"Oh thank the Ancestors…it was just a dream," Zaze said, flopping back down the bed.

"What is it?" she asked, standing up.

"Oh it's nothing," Zaze said, waving a paw. At least it wasn't a reality. Zaze breathed a sigh of relief as his friend was safe.

He then sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I came checking in on you, seeing how you are in your post-coma status. You seem healthy enough though."

Spyro shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. You should have seen him; he was muttering in his sleep."

"I was?" Zaze asked, surprised at this bit of information.

"You were. Are you sure you're okay?" Spyro inquired.

Zaze stood up and stretched. "I'm fine." That was when his stomach growled. "And hungry, as it seems. Let's go get something to eat."

"We already ate," Spyro said. "I got up early. Our class starts today, remember?" he added, seeing Zaze's surprised face.

"Thankfully we're not late yet," said Latis. "Come on, let's stop over at the Dining Hall fast, and then head to our class. We don't want to be late."

0

"So, Spyro, where's Sparx?" Zaze asked as they walked briskly down the corridor.

"He's at my parents for the time being. He'll be back tomorrow," Spyro answered.

"What's he doing there?"

"Checking in on them, you know, seeing if mom and dad are still fine."

"That's at the swamp, right?" Latis glanced at him.

"Yeah it is. It's not far from here."

"So wait, what does he do now? He doesn't exactly attend classes like we do," said Zaze.

"He does odd jobs for the Guardians. Mostly helping the moles with Temple related duties," Spyro replied.

"Oh…"

The three rounded around the corner and entered the door. The classroom they were in was already filled with students, and the atmosphere was lively as ever. Dragons and dragonesses were chatting with one another, and generally talking about the up and coming classes they were going to have. However, things turned interesting when Spyro entered the room, right behind Zaze. Almost every dragon in the room turned to look at him. There curious eyes followed him, even after he sat next to Cynder, who equally got the same treatment earlier. Manuel, who was seated next to Flame and Ember, however, waved to Zaze and Latis and motioned for them to sit next to each other. Things slowly turned alive again a few moments later.

"Is everyone really like that?" Zaze asked to Flame.  
"What? You mean the whole staring thing they just did? Yeah. They did that to Cynder too," Flame answered.

"Unlike us, they're not used to being in the presence of the hero and heroine that saved the Dragon Realms," remarked Ember.

"They're pretty popular," Manuel added. "I remember being like that too. Until I befriended them and realized they were just the same as me, just different scale color."

"I wish I was popular," Zaze said.

"Don't," said Latis. "Popularity is okay, but once it gets out of hand, you won't have any more privacy."

Spyro groaned. "Tell me about it. Ever since morning, I feel like everyone's staring at me."

"Don't get me started," said Cynder.

Just then, the door swung open and everyone turned their heads to conveniently see their teacher come in. He was a fire dragon, one that Zaze recognized as well as Flame.

"Hey…isn't that?" Zaze asked.

"Yeah, it's him," added Flame.

"Good morning class," the dragon said clearing his throat. "I am Pyrus, you may call me Master Pyrus, and I will be teaching you Dragon History this morning. I hope we all get along quite well."

0

"Volteer?" Terrador called out.

The Earth Guardian entered the Guardians' Room to find the Electric and Fire Guardian resting for the time being. School starting had taken a toll on them and a well needed break was necessary; and besides the fact that the two wanted to spend some time with each other. However, Terrador's tone made them all perk up.

"What is it Terrador?" Volteer asked.

"I think you should look at this," the dragon said, handing him a scroll. "Chase delivered it earlier. What do you make of it?"

Flare looked at the scroll as Volteer opened it. "What is it?"

"Hmm…" Volteer began to read it and immediately noticed the sense of urgency in the words.

"It seems we are needed," he said.

"Yes. Personally, I would volunteer to go," said Terrador looking at the two of them.

"But you have classes, Terrador. And you handle the most important of them all, Flight Training," replied Flare.

"Cyril can't go either. He handles Elemental Training and has a full load," said Volteer.

"Well it's settled then. I'll go," said Flare.

"Alone?" Terrador asked.

"I can handle myself," Flare said, puffing out her chest with pride.

"I'll go with you," said Volteer. "It's too dangerous."

"It's fine with me. As long as you two don't get side tracked," said Terrador flatly, looking at the two of them.

Immediately Flare blushed at what Terrador was insinuating. Volteer on the other hand looked aghast. "Are you saying we're like animals looking to get into a rut as soon as we get privacy?"

Terrador shook his head. "No. I didn't say that. Don't take it personally."

"I was only joking, of course, don't worry Terrador we won't get side tracked," said Volteer.

"I hope so."

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	3. Chapter 3 Speed vs Strength

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 3

Speed vs Strength

"So Spyro? What's it like?" Zaze asked.

"Like what?" The purple dragon asked.

"To be talked about."

Spyro sighed. "Weird."

Classes had ended for a while, and the group of friends were eating their lunches at the Dining Hall. Much like before, it was quite noticeable how everyone seemed to be staring as they ate their lunches. Zaze, admittedly, felt a little uncomfortable as he could feel eyes burning his back. It was reasonable. He was sharing a table, eating with, and talking rather nonchalantly with the two dragons that had saved the Dragon Realms.

"Tell me about it," added Cynder.

Latis raised her brow. "Did something happen?"

"Something did," said Cynder. "Never in my entire life did anyone ever do anything for me, nor I expected them to, but you should have seen them. Some of the boys near the serving area, begged me to let them carry my food."

"Anyone ever do anything for you? What about me then?" Spyro asked, looking rather sad.

"They begged you?" Zaze asked.

"Oh come on Spyro, you know what I mean," said Cynder. "And yes Zaze, they did."

"Okay, I don't want to be rude, but aren't they like afraid of you?"

"That's the thing. They are not; which is why I am surprised. Here I thought I'd be dissed or hated. I was already mentally prepared for that; but this…not really."

"I guess that's a good thing," said Latis.

Zaze lowered his head. "I wish I was popular…you'd think that a dragon that beat the purple dragon would be popular but I guess not."

"The problem with that Zaze, is that nobody knows about that. It's a closed incident," Latis comforted the dragon.

"But still, I congratulate you Zaze. You did beat me," said Spyro.

Zaze waved a paw. "Nah, it wasn't you that I beat. It was the," he lowered his voice. "The Dark Dragon; you were possessed. I wouldn't call that fair."

"He has a point," said Cynder.

"So I am assuming you'd want a rematch with me then?" Spyro asked, raising a brow.

Zaze perked up. "If you're interested, then yes."

Latis looked at Zaze. "Now wait just a minute. You do know you're still injured right?"

He looked at her. "I do; your point being?"

"You can't just spar whenever you feel like it. What do you think would happen if you got hurt again? You're still healing."

"I agree with Latis on this one," said Cynder. "I don't think you should fight yet Spyro. You haven't fully recovered yet."

"You two are kill joys," Zaze pouted. "Come on! Please!? I promise I won't beat him up that badly."

Spyro looked at Zaze. "Hey! Just because I'm injured doesn't mean I'm a pushover."

It seemed that the two were adamant of wanting to spar with each other. Latis just looked at Cynder. "What are we going to do with these two?" she asked her.

"Boys will be boys. I say we let them. The first sign of trouble, we pull the plug. Is that okay?"

0

"You know, I am surprised," said Ember.

"By what?" Latis asked.

"By you."

"What did I do?"

"You, letting this happen," said Ember. "I thought you were the responsible one!"

"I am!" Latis said adamantly. "It's just that…he was so stubborn and…"

"You know, I'd understand Cynder. She can't say no to Spyro. But you," Flame looked at her, and smirked. "I'm beginning to think you can't say no to Zaze."

Latis glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing," Flame said shaking his head. Ember on the other hand just chuckled.

The three dragons were at the side lines eagerly awaiting the sparring match that was about to begin. Zaze and Spyro were standing a few feet from each other stretching and basically preparing themselves. They weren't alone though. Other student dragons eagerly watched as the Legendary Purple Dragon, right before there very eyes, would show is prowess. It didn't take long for talks of Spyro beating the no name electric dragon outright to start circulating.

"Is that electric dragon stupid? Challenging Spyro? It's quite clear who'll win this match," a dragon behind Flame said to his fellow friend.

"I know right. I saw him earlier. He looks weak."

"Latis, are you okay?" Cynder asked as she approached. The ice dragoness was staring daggers at the floor.

"I'm fine. It's just that I hate the fact that they underestimate Zaze, when we all know what he is capable of."

Cynder nodded. "We all know."

"But honestly though, who do you think will win?" asked Flame.

"I…I don't know. If I didn't know who Zaze is, I'd probably say Spyro, but I've seen what Zaze can do," said Ember. "It certainly changes perspective."

"I agree," Cynder said, looking back at the two. "I say, may the best dragon win."

Back at the center of the Training Dojo, the two dragons were finished doing their stretches. They had gathered quite a crowd, and Zaze wasn't going to disappoint. Not that he liked to show off, but a little show never hurt anyone. Especially when that show's ending is rather unpredictable. Even he himself can't tell who will win.

"Let the best dragon win," he said to himself.

Spyro and Zaze locked eyes.

"Go." Spyro said.

Zaze opened his maw, firing an electric thunder ball at him. Spyro easily deflected this by summoning a rock wall in front of him with a stomp of his feet. The ball collided sending out sparks that only chipped away at the sturdy rock. Spyro went on the offensive, jumping to the side and launching out a barrage of icicles at the electric dragon.

"Zaze! Watch out!" Latis yelled.

Zaze just smirked. He wasn't going to be hit this easily. Spreading his wings, he flew up quickly evading the sharp icicles headed his way. But Spyro wasn't done yet. Opening his maw, he launched fireballs one after the other. Zaze didn't have much time to react. He spun around and gathered his element at the base of his tail. With great timing and accuracy, he swatted the fireballs one after the other, sending them flying back to Spyro. The purple dragon dodged to the side, not expecting his attacks to be countered. The crowd on the other hand watched intently, mystified by the sparring happening before them. They had clearly underestimated Zaze.

"Did you see that!?" One dragon said to his friend. "I didn't know you could deflect fireballs with your tail!"  
"That's amazing! I'm definitely going to try that next time."

Latis smiled to herself. Zaze clearly knew how to excite the crowd. She only hoped though that the boys wouldn't push themselves too much. They were still recovering from their past injuries.

"What's the matter?" Ember asked, seeing Latis' worried face.  
"It's nothing," she dismissed her.  
"They'll be fine Latis. You worry too much," Ember said, realizing what she was thinking about.

Just then, the crowd got excited as the fighting got more up close and personal. Zaze was right in front of Spyro and the two were fighting it out. The purple dragon's front paws glowed earthly brown as he encased it with the element of earth. His attack power just got doubled. Zaze on the other hand had his own version. His back paws glowed electric yellow. He was moving twice as he normally would. His feet were a blur. Each punch Spyro went for was easily evaded and sidestepped by Zaze.

"I never knew Zaze could move so fast!" said Flame who wasn't taking his eyes off the match.  
"How fitting," said a deep voice behind them.  
Ember looked up to find none other than the Guardian of Earth.  
"Terrador! What are you doing here?" Cynder asked.  
"I came to see what the commotion was all about. And I have to say, Spyro is making me feel proud," Terrador said eyeing the heated sparring match.  
"Who do you think will win?" Latis asked.  
Terrador looked seriously. "It's hard to say. It's basically speed versus strength. An unstoppable force against an immovable object; both are doing wise choices in battle and are showing excellent mastery of their respective element."  
"The qualities of a Guardian," said another voice. Terrador turned his head to see Pyrus walking up to them.  
"Yes, you are correct. Spyro and Zaze both show great potential. They are definite candidates for Guardian Candidacy," Terrador said.  
"I have a question, how do you get chosen for Guardian Candidacy?" Flame asked, looking at Pyrus.  
"You weren't paying attention in class were you, Flame? I discussed this earlier," Pyrus said looking at him disappointedly.  
"It's the Guardians themselves that decide who are fit to become Guardians. From there, they take one to three apprentices, and train them to become full fledge masters. And once the time comes, he will pass on the title to the most suitable apprentice. Am I right, Pyrus?"  
"You are, Ember. Flame, be sure to pay attention more in class. You won't be chosen to be an apprentice if you slack off." Flame nodded, turning his head back to the match.

The fight was reaching its end. Both Zaze and Spyro were now visibly tired, but still fighting. It was time to pull out the stops and give it their all. Zaze stood in his place and panted. He had made up quite a sweat. It was time to deliver the finishing blow. Focusing all of his energy, his body began to glow that familiar looking yellow light. He was jump starting his muscles just like he did before.

"What's he doing?" asked a dragon from the background.

"I've never seen that before," said another.

He opened his eyes, and smirked at Spyro. "Think fast!"

With that, Zaze suddenly disappeared into thin air.

"WHOA! Where'd he go!?" The crowd went crazy, clearly taken aback at what Zaze had just done. Latis and the others on the other paw weren't as shocked. They had seen this before. Latis though, grew concerned. Should Zaze be doing this? This technique takes a big toll on the body. Something she wasn't sure if Zaze, under his current condition, could handle.

"That…technique…" said Pyrus.

"Amazing…" Terrador said.

Spyro looked around wildly, trying to see where Zaze would pop up. Taking his advice, he used his own trick up his sleeve. He focused all of his energy and summoned forth the power he needed. Everything around him began to slow as time itself warped around him. He summoned forth Dragon Time. Opening his eyes, he saw Zaze, moving in regular speed. Now they were on even ground.

For the others however, everything was a blur; literally. The two dragons that were sparring seem to be nothing but a speck of purple and yellow flashes. They were moving so fast, it was hard to keep track of. Everyone watched, eager to see who would win the epic sparring match happening before them.

Zaze didn't expect Spyro to do Dragon Time, to level the playing field, but he managed to adapt. The purple dragon was blocking all of his attacks and evading some, but he can't block forever. Using his tail, he proceeded to mix Spyro up, by forcing him to block high, and then low immediately, creating what seemed like an impossible attack to block. Within moments, everyone gasp to find Spyro's body sliding across the floor, halting a few moments later. He got smacked at the side, hard.

Zaze stood in front, panting and sweat dripping across his face. For a moment, he relished his victory against the purple dragon.

"I…I…"

But Zaze couldn't finish his sentence. A sharp stabbing pain came from his chest, sending pain rocketing all over his body. He grimaced, as the pain shot through his brain.

It was at that moment, he blacked out.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**I've been meaning to put this before. For those of you wondering, the way you pronounce Zaze's name is this:**

**Zay-se**

**It's like "Vase" except with Z so "Zase".**

**ANYWAYS!**

**We got that Zaze using them fuzzy setups, and topping it off with an UNBLOCKABLE! KO! Wait? What?**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	4. Chapter 4 Scrolls and Tomes

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Scrolls and Tomes

Zaze was once again helping Spyro with freeing dragons from their crystal prisons. That's when he saw her. Latis was standing in the distance. Zaze was about to walk over to her when a magical beam shot from out of nowhere, turning Latis into a crystal statue.

"Latis!" Zaze called out.

Zaze ran over to the crystal Latis statue. He was about to free her when another dragon came. For some reason, Zaze couldn't make out the dragon's features. He just seemed…fuzzy. It was as if something wasn't letting him see the dragon. But he ignored the dragon and was about to free Latis. But just before he touched the statue to free her, the dragon swung his paw and smashed the statue, shattering the crystal into millions of little shards.

0

Zaze woke up, sitting up, in cold sweat. It was the same nightmare again. Except this time it was worse. As he got his bearings back, he lied down and his senses came back to him. He looked around to find himself in a familiar place. He was at the infirmary. For a moment, he wondered what he was doing there. But the memory came back to him.

"Good, you're finally awake," said a voice. He turned his head to see the earth dragoness, Alyssa. She was the resident medical dragoness. She was also Latis' master.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting at the side.

"Fine; a lot better actually," Zaze answered.

"That's good to hear. What exactly happened Zaze?" Alyssa asked. She already knew the answer, but she was doing this out of formalities.

"Well…I passed out. We were just sparring; I and Spyro…"

"You were sparring?" Alyssa asked. She sighed. "Didn't I tell you not to spar?"

Zaze closed his eyes. He was going to get it now. He was definitely going to get a scolding. Latis warned him, but did he listen? No.

"I am not going to scold you, don't worry," said Alyssa, easing up on her tone.

Zaze blinked, surprised at this. "Huh?"

"I am not. You're old enough to know what's right or wrong, and you're a responsible dragon Zaze, I know that. However, I am going to warn you. Your vitals were dangerously low when they managed to rush you in here earlier. It was practically like when you were rushed in here before, when you fought…you know. So please. When I tell you to take a rest, please follow my advice. Or else…" Alyssa looked at him sternly. "You're lucky you only passed out. It could have been worse."

"I understand…" said Zaze, feeling completely bad now.

"You're injuries aren't that bad. You only need to take it easy for a couple of days to let your body fully recover. You're free to go."

Zaze nodded, and Alyssa left him. Just then, his visitors came.

"Zaze!" a voice called out.

He turned his head to find Flame. "Flame!"

"We were worried about you," said Ember. "You suddenly collapsed!"

"Yeah…" Zaze smiled wryly. "I kind of did."

"You should have seen Latis and Cynder. They went ballistic. Especially Latis; she was worried about you, and the worst part is, she kept blaming herself," said Flame.

"It took us a whole hour to calm her down," said Ember. "You should go see her."

"Where is she?" Zaze asked.

0

Zaze walked down the halls of the Temple, in search of Latis. Flame and Ember had pointed him in the direction that headed to one of the balconies of the Temple. They had seen Cynder take her there. He noted that it was evening now. His first day of school was definitely a memorable one. He peeked around the corner and saw the familiar ice dragoness. Cynder, however, was nowhere in sight.

"Latis?" he called out.

The ice dragoness turned around, and a relieved expression washed on her face. She ran and gave him a hug. "Zaze! You're okay!"

Zaze chuckled. "What? You thought I died or something?"  
Latis just laughed nervously, releasing the hug. Zaze noted that she wiped her face afterwards. She had been crying. "You were crying? Why?"

"Oh it's nothing really. It's just…silly."

"You were worried about me, weren't you?"

Latis looked at him. "…yes."

"Well, don't." Zaze placed a comforting paw on her shoulder. "If you thought I died from something as simple as that, then I'm disappointed in you. You got to have more faith in me."

Latis chuckled. "I suppose so."

"And I came here to apologize."

"Apologize about what?"

"For making you worry." Zaze scratched his head. "I should have listened to your advice, and not have sparred with Spyro."

Latis shook her head. "It's also my fault, Zaze. I didn't try hard enough to stop you."

Zaze shrugged. "In any case, all's well that ends well. By the way, where's Spyro? He wasn't at the infirmary."

"He's with his brother, Sparx. They're probably chit-chatting at your room."

Zaze nodded, and looked at the night sky. "It's getting late. We should get some rest. We have class tomorrow."

0

The next day, after class, Zaze found himself in a rather odd situation.

"Hey!" a dragon called out.

Zaze turned around to find a blue dragon looking nervously at him.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Y-you're Zaze right?"

Zaze cocked his head to the side. "I am. What is it?"

"I just want to say, what you did yesterday. It was cool!"

"Thank you," Zaze replied. And then the dragon ran off.

"And you say you're not popular?" asked Flame.

"I guess the sparring match yesterday caught some dragons' eyes," replied Zaze.

Sparx sighed. "I wish I was there. I would have been cheering!"  
"You would have been Sparx," replied Latis.

The three dragons and dragonfly exited the classroom. Class had just ended for the day, and Zaze wondered what he was going to do in the meantime. As if on cue, the Earth Guardian appeared at the side, a troubled expression on his face.

"Hey Terrador," Zaze called out. "What's up?"

The Earth Guardian sighed. "A lot Zaze; a lot."

"What's eating you?" Sparx asked.

"Volteer tasked me yesterday of getting scrolls and tomes from the previous Temple we were in. We need it for extra learning materials," he answered.

"Scrolls and tomes?" Flame asked.

"You mean the Temple at Silver River?" Sparx asked.

"Yes, the very same," Terrador replied.

"Why didn't he do it himself?" Latis asked.

"Volteer and Flare are out in the meantime." Terrador saw Zaze raise a brow. "Guardian duties," he added.

"When did they leave?" he asked.

"Yesterday."  
"So what's the problem then?" Sparx asked.

"I can't do it by myself. There are a lot of scrolls Sparx. I am a strong dragon, but I can't carry them all by myself."

"Well, we're not busy," Zaze said, looking at Latis and Flame.

"We don't have homework. I guess we can help," Flame answered. "I think I can even convince Ember to come with us."

"Well, if it's not much of a bother, then thank you," said the Guardian. "We shall leave in a few minutes."

0

And so the five dragons, and a dragonfly, were off, each carrying their own satchels to place the books they were to collect. Terrador was up front, leading them. Latis and Zaze were in the middle and Flame and Ember were behind. Sparx on the other paw secured himself on Zaze's horn. When Flame asked if Ember wanted to come with them, she happily agreed. She was bored. Zaze looked around excitedly. Admittedly, he had never been out of the city, except that one time when he stumbled across Spyro and Cynder at the forest of Avalar. The new sights, smells and especially the view he got of the horizon, was more than enough to keep him entertained.

"Hey guys!" Ember called out from behind. They were lazily gliding at the sky, and the wind was not as strong so it didn't muffle her voice.

"What is it?" asked Latis.

"Is that Silver River?" Ember asked, pointing at the river reaching snaking through the forest.

"Yes, young dragon, it is," replied Terrador up front. "Careful now, we're going to start our descent."

Terrador closed his wings up a bit, and began to slowly dive down. The others soon followed and a few moments later, touchdown.

"This place hasn't changed a single bit," said Sparx, looking around.

"I thought this area was destroyed? Didn't the Dark Master use this Temple as his Temple?" asked Flame admiring the scenery.

"This was the Temple the Dark Master used," answered Terrador. "However, due to Spyro and Cynder's efforts in saving the world, the once Burned Lands have been restored to their previous glory."

"Wow…" added Zaze. "Did you go with them Sparx?"

"Go where?"

"With Spyro and Cynder to the Burned Lands," said Zaze.

The dragonfly shook his head. "They didn't let me. It was too dangerous they said."

"Ah I see."

"Let us get a move on everyone. You are all my responsibility, and this place has now been reclaimed by nature. It'll be dangerous once night sets in. Let us make haste."

"Okay," replied everyone.

The five dragons and the dragonfly, headed towards the abandoned Dragon Temple. The place looked pretty much the same as before, except for a few specific changes. Terrador was right; nature had reclaimed the entire place. The Temple had a new color, aside from the earthly colors the Temple wall had. And it was color green. Green was evident everywhere, the walls, the ceiling, the floor. Nature had its way with the place and had now made it a liveable habitat for the animals that were in the area. It was quiet inside, with nothing but their footsteps audible. Luckily though, the sliding doors that were there before still were functioning, albeit having a hard time moving on their own. It seemed that moss and algae had made it stiff. The place reeked with the smell of plants. It was relatively dark inside as well, with a few sections lit up by the sunlight seeping into the cracks in the wall.

"So where exactly are we going?" Zaze asked, looking around.

"The library of course," Terrador answered flatly. "And the few rooms that had tomes in them."

"Hey Terrador, can I ask you a question?" Flame asked.

"Yes Flame?"

"Why aren't we using this Temple anymore? It seems still…usable."

Terrador smiled. "Interesting question, young dragon; you see, the main reason why we don't use this Temple anymore is because of its facilities. Or lack thereof."

"What do you mean?" Latis asked.

"When Malefor took over and made this place his own, he had destroyed a few key parts of the Temple, making this place technically useless; and the fact that when he was here, his entire act of making this place levitate above us all, as a sign of his superiority, ended structurally weakening the Temple."

Zaze's eyes widened at the realization. "You mean this place is condemned!?"

"Don't worry Zaze, it's not going to come crashing down on us," said Terrador, calming his nerves. "I wouldn't have brought you all here if that were the case. But it is condemned. Some parts of the Temple have weakened to the point that you can literally punch and end up breaking the wall."

"Wow," said Latis. "I don't think we should stay long then, just for safety reasons."

"I agree," said Terrador. "Okay then, to make this quick, let's split up. I'll go alone, and check the rooms. Zaze, Flame, you two go together. Ember and Latis, you'll be joined by Sparx. Is that okay?"

"Okay," everyone replied.

As everyone walked off to find their scrolls and tomes, unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes watched from the cracks in the wall, accompanied by a territorial growl.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	5. Chapter 5 Hiding in the Shadows

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Hiding in the Shadows

"This place is amazing," said Flame as they walked down the halls. "It's like the entire place is alive!"

"Of course it is Flame," replied Zaze. "Plants are everywhere. They're alive."

"I know that. You know what I mean," Flame turned around the corner and entered the room.

"Oh lucky us," said Zaze flatly. "We found the library."

Found it they did. The library of the run down Temple looked the same as the one at Warfang, except for one key thing. The entire place looked like it hadn't been touched by dragonkind for a long time. Some of the shelves that were there had toppled to the side. Books, paper and scrolls were littered and scattered about. The place was a mess. And to top it off, the smell of old books, plants and rotting wood was evident in the air.

"So…what are we looking for exactly?" Zaze asked, looking at the area.

"Books that can be salvaged," Flame replied.

"This shouldn't be too hard," Zaze picked up one of the scrolls on the floor. "Most of these are unusable anyway."

The scroll he opened had a big gaping hole in it, and most of the writing on it had faded. It was trash, than anything else. But Zaze noticed something odd, but he dismissed it. Maybe it was just a coincidence.

"Let's get started then."

0

Meanwhile, the two dragonesses and dragonfly were busy doing work. Behind Latis stood a pile of tomes that she had managed to gather from the room they were in. Ember was beside her, examining a scroll if it was still usable. Sparx helped in arranging the tomes when Ember passed them onto him.

"So Latis," Ember began, wanting to start conversation. "Are you coming to the party?"

Latis glanced at her. "A party? What do you mean?"

Ember handed another scroll to Sparx. "You know, the Acquaintance Gala?"

"Oh that?" Sparx asked. "You should go Latis. I'm actually helping arrange that party with the moles."  
"What is it about?" Latis asked, taking a breather.

"Well it's basically an event that aims to help dragons get acquainted with one another. Make it easy for them to make friends," answered Sparx.

"Do we really need that?"

"Well, it's mostly to have them be comfortable around dragons like Spyro and Cynder," Sparx answered. "But there's also the friend thing. It's going to be fun. There's going to be food and dancing."

"So are you going?" Ember asked. "It'll be fun!"

Latis scratched her head. "I don't know…I mean, I don't have anyone to go with."

"Well that's easy. You can go with Zaze!" Ember replied giddily.

"Yeah! Ember's right, I'm sure Zaze would—" Then Sparx remembered something. "—No, never mind. That wouldn't work."

Latis brow rose. "Huh?"

"Why?" Ember asked.

Sparx scratched his head. "You see…"

0 = 0 = 0

Terrador, however smiled with glee. "Splendid! This is truly an occasion worth celebrating!"

"It truly is. I think we should host a feast!" said Cyril, brimming with excitement.

"Shall I inform the moles?" asked Volteer.

As the Guardians and Hunter were busy bouncing around ideas of a supposed party, Zaze just sighed dejectedly at it all.

"I freaking hate parties…"

Sparx, who was floating beside him, heard his statement. "You; hate parties? I hardly believe that."

Zaze however just snorted. "I was never one for social gatherings."  
"And here I thought you'd be all over this? With you and your personality, I expected you to be a party animal."

"Nah" —he shook his head—"I'd rather hang out with you guys, rather than rock it out with dragons I don't know."

0 = 0 = 0

"So are you going Zaze?" Flame asked.

Zaze shook his head. "No," he answered flatly.

"Why not?"

"Because, I don't like parties."

"You? Not liking parties? I hardly believe that."

"Haven't I had this conversation before?"

Flame looked at him. "Huh?"

Zaze shook his head. "Never mind; well believe it, because I really don't. I don't want to waste time doing something I'll be doing anyway."

"Now that's unfortunate. I was really hoping you'd go." Flame shrugged. "In any case, I'll be checking out behind in case we forgot anything."

Zaze nodded. "You go do that."

By now, they had practically gotten every book possible from the library, which was notably fewer than normal. Flame walked off to the side, leaving Zaze to arrange what few books and scrolls they had gathered. As he grabbed one book, he noticed that this too had a rather odd contradiction in it. Earlier while they were looking for books, he had noticed that a few books had more dust than the other. Now this would have been easily dismissed, except for the fact that the way the dust was removed was like it was brushed off by a paw print. That was the problem.

Earlier Terrador had told them that no one was here. Coupled with the fact that ever since earlier, it felt like someone was watching him from the shadows. Zaze hummed to himself. Was he just thinking too much? Or was something else going on here?

"Nah," said Zaze waving a paw in the air. "Maybe I'm just thinking too much."

Just then, a whistling sound came behind one of the shelves, followed by a scream. It was Flame's voice.

"FLAME!" Zaze shouted, immediately shifting into high gear. "What happened!?" He rounded around the corner, only to find Flame collapsed onto the floor. He was about to run towards him when all of a sudden a weird sensation came from his legs. Looking down, he was shocked to find his paws to be suddenly cemented to the floor. He couldn't move.

"What the hell!?"

0

Terrador looked idly at each room he passed by, making sure that they were empty and didn't contain any salvageable scroll or tome. He rounded around the corner and came across a familiar door. A pair of banners hung from each side of the door that had the symbol of the four elements: earth, fire, ice and electricity. He was surprised to find it still there, after all the time that had passed. He was even more surprised as to how the banner of fire had been torn in half, somewhat predicting the outcome of its Guardian. Terrador sighed. Ignitus was a close friend of his, and his death was a shock to him. But alas, that was what happened in war. Dragons live and dragons die. Terrador walked forward and the door slid open. The room was still the same as ever, albeit looking dirtier than before. The colored cushions were still there, though some had its color fading completely. Even their respective scents still lingered in the air.

Terrador's brow rose. He sniffed the air again.

"Wait a minute…"

That smell; he hadn't noticed it earlier due to the strong smell of the plants in the area. But here in the Guardian's room, it was definitely stronger. It was the smell of a male's musk, which was impossible. Sure it would have made sense it being here if the four of them were still living here. But no one lived here anymore, so it shouldn't even exist. Unless…

"AHHH!"

Terrador immediately switched to alert mode. That was Flame's scream.

He quickly rushed out of the room and headed to the source of the voice. It was coming from the library. Along the way, he met up with Latis, Ember and Sparx, who were all equally shocked and wanted to know what was going on.

"What happened!?" Terrador shouted, as the door flung open. He looked around, quickly assessing the situation as fast as possible. Zaze was at the corner, unnaturally stuck in a pose for some reason. Flame was at the other side of a shelf, collapsed to the floor. His eyes darted down, and saw why Zaze wasn't moving. His paws were cemented to the ground.

"Zaze!" Latis called out.

"Guys! Watch out! Someone's just attacked Flame!"

And as if on cue, the creature in question appeared out of the corner and charged straight at them. It was a dragon, and by the looks of it, had its fangs bared at them. He lunged at them, going for the kill. But before the attack hit, Terrador lifted up his paw and hit it the ground, causing a rock wall to rise up between them and the dragon. Terrador was taken a bit by surprise, but didn't flinch, when at the moment the dragon made impact, a rock spear protruded from the wall, stopping a few feet of his face. Whoever this dragon was, he knew some high level earth elemental techniques. Earth shifting isn't normally part of the curriculum. Terrador let the rock wall crumble so that just a small area remained. From the top of this rock pillar, the dragon's head poked out. Terrador had used the rock wall to encase the dragon in rock.

"Whoa…" said Sparx. "I am amazed you didn't flinch!"

"I've had closer calls," replied Terrador flatly.

Seeing the situation was back to normal, Ember and Latis ran to Flame and Zaze respectively, checking in on them. Latis smashed the rock that encased Zaze's feet, freeing him from his captivity. Ember on the other hand nudged Flame, who responded with a groan.

"Okay…" he said sitting up. "Who hit me?" He looked around to find Ember suddenly hugging him.

"Thank goodness you're alright Flame!" she added.

Terrador and Sparx meanwhile examined the dragon, who was trying desperately to get away from his captured state. He snarled menacingly at Sparx and Terrador, forcing the dragonfly to hide behind Terrador.

"Sheesh! What is your problem!?" said Sparx, backing off. The dragon just growled, sizing Terrador up.

"Don't force yourself young dragon. You'll only hurt yourself if you keep squirming like that," Terrador said calmly.

"Like hell I will! I swear once I get out of this, you're all going to get it!" he shouted, for the first time speaking.

"Who is that dragon?" Ember said, examining the dragon encased in a slab of rock.

"Why did he attack us?" Zaze asked.

"I don't know," replied Latis.

"Whoever he is, I am going to give him a piece of my mind. I have a headache because of him!" said Flame, glaring at the dragon.

"I'll treat that later at the infirmary, Flame," said Latis.

A few moments later, they all crowded around, and looked at the earth dragon who glared at all of them back.

"Who are you?" Terrador began.

"I don't have to answer to you," the dragon replied. He even spat a little spit at Terrador, who moved back a little bit to avoid it. "Dark Master's scum!"

Zaze raised a brow. "Dark Master's…"

"Scum?" Flame finished for him.

The dragon looked at them, and spoke with a tone filled with venom. "Yeah! You heard me! I am going to kill every last one of you, even if it kills me! I swear once I get out of here!" The slab of rock started shaking again, as the dragon tried desperately to get out of his situation.

One thought was clear on everyone's mind. Whoever this dragon was, he clearly had no idea what the hell was going on.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	6. Chapter 6 Friends

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 6

Friends

The earth dragon continued to struggle. He even tried using his own earth element to try to free himself from the rock Terrador trapped him in. But every time he did, Terrador just countered with his own earth element.

Terrador circled the dragon to observe him, "He seems to have all the characteristics of a feral dragon." Terrador said.

"But part of my studies involved feral dragons. And usually ferals don't know how to talk." Latis said.

"Hey, what are you talking about?" the earth dragon growled.

"If you don't have to answer to us, then we don't have to answer to you either." Flame said as he glared at the dragon.

"There are a few exceptions," Terrador said, "Feral dragons can be taught. The first thing a feral dragon is usually taught is how to talk. Since it's unlikely that this dragon has had any social contact in a long time, there is an alternative. Some feral dragons aren't born feral. They usually can remember how to talk. They usually become feral from being orphaned and having to live in the wild."

"Because Dark Master's scum like you kill their parents!" the dragon growled again, this time more aggressively.

"Do you even know who he is?" Flame said, pointing to Terrador.

A spear shot out of the stone trapping the dragon and was about to hit Flame. But the spear crumbled into a pile of ruble.

"You have impressive abilities, feral. But your abilities will not be able to overpower my own." Terrador said to the feral earth dragon.

"I say we just leave him stuck in that stone and just leave!" Flame growled, "It's no more than he deserves."

"Flame, stop it!" Ember scowled.

"Flame did make a point though," Latis said to the feral dragon in a gentle tone, "Do you know who that is?"

The dragon seemed a little taken aback at Latis' gentle tone. But he responded, "Yes. He's just another one of Dark Master's scum!" the feral dragon growled.

"No he's not," Latis said in a gentle tone again, "That is Terrador; as in the elemental guardian of earth."

"I…I don't believe you!" the dragon said, off put by Latis' gentleness, "The guardians were destroyed by Dark Master's scum like you all!"

"At least can you hear him out?" Latis asked, "After that, you can choose to believe him or not."

"Why should I?"

"Well considering the position you're in, you don't have much choice," Latis said bluntly.

"Who is this guy anyway?" Zaze asked, finally talking.

"Someone who'll definitely hit you if you don't let me go this instant!" the dragon said irritably.

"Hey!" Sparx shouted. "Calm down, will you. You talk like you own the place!"

"As Latis was saying, I am Terrador; the Guardian of Earth. Who are you and what are you doing here anyway?"

The dragon huffed. "The name's Crombe. And I live here."

"You live here?" Ember asked.

"Well it's not like any of you have any claim over it. It's just an abandoned building. And since I was here first, it's mine." Crombe said with a territorial growl.

"You do know this is a, well it used to be, a Dragon Temple? Where dragons learned and studied?" Sparx asked.

"I know that," he replied. "But like I said, it's an abandoned building. It's mine."

"Don't worry, we're not taking it away from you," said Terrador calmly. "We're not evil dragons who steal property. But I don't think you should stay here."

Crombe raised a brow. "Why do you think that?"

"Because it's dangerous," replied Zaze. "Do you live here all by yourself?"

"You say that as if there is anybody else," Crombe scowled, "Malefor and his scum killed everybody else."

"What rock has this guy been living under?" Sparx asked, receiving a glare from the others, "What?"

"Well, can you blame him for thinking he's alone?" Zaze asked, "Before Hunter arrived with news of the other colonies, I didn't know there were any other survivors either."

This got Crombe's curiosity, "Other colonies?"

"There are. We thought that too, until news of other surviving dragons reached us. And from that point on, we made it a point to gather everyone at the Dragon City of Warfang. Currently, everyone's there, picking up the broken pieces of their lives," Terrador answered.

"What about Malefor? Don't tell me he's dead," Crombe asked.

"He is. Spyro defeated him, with the help of Cynder," Zaze answered.

Crombe's brow rose. "...Cynder?"

"If it wasn't for Cynder's help, Spyro might not have been able to defeat Malefor," Terrador said.

"Cynder is Malefor's most trusted minion," Crombe growled, "She would never betray him by helping to defeat him!"

"I think I'm starting to like this guy," Sparx commented, "Actually, she didn't help him by choice. After we were frozen in crystal for three years, one of Malefor's minions put collars on her and Spyro that tethered them together. So where one went, the other had to go. I find it ironic that if Malefor didn't tether them together, then Cynder probably wouldn't have gone with Spyro. And then he wouldn't have been able to defeat Malefor."

"Cynder may not have had a choice but to follow Spyro. But she could've chosen not to help him," Terrador said, "She helped him out of her own free will."

"Only because she wanted to get that collar off," Sparx added.

Ember glared at the dragonfly. "Sparx, shut up, you're not helping."

"Sorry," he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Zaze rolled his eyes. "The point is, Cynder switched sides, and she's one of the good guys now."

"I find that hard to believe," Crombe said, giving him a flat stare.

"You know what, why don't you come with us? You must get lonely being here all by yourself." Latis suggested.

Crombe wasn't sure what to think. He's been alone for so long that he never gave it a second thought. But something about this dragoness made him want to come.

"Okay..." Crombe said almost instinctively.

Terrador blinked. "That was easier than expected."

"He's coming with us!?" Flame said. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"But we can't leave him here, Flame. And besides, he already agreed," Zaze said, assuringly.

"I don't know. He seems awfully angry at Cynder," said Ember.

"Aren't we all?" Sparx asked.

"Only you Sparx," Zaze added.

"So it's okay, right Terrador? For him to come with us?" Latis asked.

"I agree that we can't just leave him here," Terrador said just as a part of the ceiling fell down, "It's too dangerous for anybody to stay here. This temple is only being held together by the vines and roots that have overtaken it."

"We'd better get going then. This place isn't gonna stay up for much longer," Zaze said.

"If I let you go, will you agree not to attack us?" Terrador asked Crombe.

"If you really are one of the guardians, then I have to trust you," Crombe said, "I won't attack you...as long as you don't make me mad." With that said, everyone looked at Sparx again.

"What?!" Sparx asked.

Terrador released his hold on the stone, freeing Crombe from his stone prison.

The earth crumbled around him, and in a few moments, Crombe was stretching his wings. "Thank you for that," he replied.

"Come on guys, it's getting dark, we need to get back to the Temple," said Terrador, before leading them out.

A few moments later, the six dragons, and a dragonfly, made it outside, and were back at the familiar setting of the forest. With Terrador taking the lead, one by one they took off, heading back to the city. Crombe however, looked back uneasily. He was still reluctant to leave. Latis saw this, and decided to comfort him.

"It'll be fine Crombe, trust me," she said.

He sighed. "I never knew this day would come. I always thought I was the only one left in the area."

Zaze sighed as he beat his wings. Today was a rather tiring day. He turned his head however, to find that Crombe and latis hadn't taken off yet.

"Hurry up you two! Or we'll get left behind!" he shouted.

"Coming!" Latis shouted back. She turned to face him.

"Shall we?"

Crombe nodded. The two dragons then took off.

0

"So let me get this straight, they're with Terrador right now?" Spyro asked.

"Yep," Manuel replied.

"And we're left here, doing nothing."

"Well at least we were productive. We did get some homework done," the dragon replied.

"I wonder what Cynder's doing?" Spyro asked as he looked up at the sky.  
"Hey, Spyro, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever get tired of being judged?"

Spyro rolled to face his friend. "What do you mean?"

"You know, being constantly judged by dragons. Being the purple dragon and all, it must be tough when dragons look at you and have high expectations."

"I guess. You just get used to it," Spyro sighed. "Cynder has it harder than I do."

"How is she holding up anyway?" Manuel asked.

"Great actually; some still hate her, you can't avoid that. But majority of the dragons here talk to her, albeit they avoid her because of fear."

"Understandable, but honestly, it feels weird."

"What feels weird?"

"Dragons are talking to me, and can you believe this, they're asking me: What did I do to befriend you?"

Spyro sat up and looked at him. "Seriously?"

Manuel nodded. "Yep. And you know something, they even asked me this. They asked me, if I could ask you, if you have anyone to go with for the Acquaintance Gala."

Spyro cocked his head. "The Acquaintance what?"

"You know, the Acquaintance Gala. It's basically an event that aims to help dragons get acquainted with one another. Make it easy for them to make friends."

"Oh that. I and Cynder have to be there right?"

"Yeah; does that mean you're going with Cynder?"

Spyro chuckled. "Are you seriously asking that question?"

"I get it. For a moment back there, I forgot you already have a thing going on with Cynder."

"A thing with me?" a voice asked.

The two boys turned around to find none other than Cynder standing in front of them.

"Cynder!" Spyro smiled at her.

"Hey Spyro," she replied sitting next to him. "Hello Manuel."

"Nice to see you too."  
"What are you guys talking about?"  
"The Acquaintance Gala," Spyro replied.

"And the fact that dragonesses still don't get the hint that you are already an item," Manuel added.

"I can attest to that," Cynder said, resting her head on Spyro's shoulders.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Oh, there was this dragon that helped me earlier. He stuttered when he asked me if I had anyone to go with to the Acquaintance Gala. Sadly…" She glanced at Spyro. "I had to turn him down. He took it like a real dragon. Though, somehow, I got the sense that I crushed his heart."

"Ouch," Manuel said. He then sighed.

Spyro raised a brow. "What's wrong?"

"It's something just trivial…"

"You don't have anyone to go with, don't you?" Cynder asked. Manuel rested his back against the tree.

"You got me. Why is that, in our group, I keep always getting the short end of the stick?"

Spyro rested his head on his paws. "Our group?"

"You know our group; our 'circle of friends', our clique: you, Cynder, Flame, Ember, Zaze, Latis and me."

"I'm sorry, but I don't see your problem," Spyro said.

Cynder chuckled, reading between the lines. "Manuel's sad because he doesn't have anyone to go with. Our clique is an odd number. He's the odd one out."

Spyro blinked. "I'm not sure about that. I and Cynder and Flame and Ember are an item, definitely. But Zaze and Latis…" He shook his head. "Don't get your hopes down just yet."

Cynder on the other hand just rolled her eyes. "Don't worry Manuel," she said, patting him in the shoulders. "The time will come."

And the author, smiling deviously, decided to kick things up a notch, by adding another character into the mix.

"Um…excuse me?"

The three of them turned their heads to the sound of the voice.

Spyro raised his brow. "What's wrong? You seem out of breath."

Manuel looked at the dragon. It was a dragoness. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Master Cyril's looking for you two."

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	7. Chapter 7 Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 7

Confrontation

"Who are you again?" Manuel asked, as he looked at the dragoness.

She chuckled, looking at him. "I'm surprised you don't recognize who I am."

Manuel raised his brow. Cynder on the other hand just rolled her eyes. "She sits next to you in class, Manuel."

"She does?" He turned his head to face her. "You do?"

"The name's Celsius. Nice to meet you," she said, smiling at him.

Manuel smiled sheepishly. "Manuel."

The four dragons rounded around the corner and soon arrived at the door to the Guardians' Office. Outside, was Cyril waiting patiently.

"I found them, just like you asked," Celsius said.

"Thank you Celsius," Cyril said. She nodded, and left. Cynder smiled seeing how Manuel looked at her as she walked away. There was still hope for him.

"So you needed us?" Spyro asked.

"I did," Cyril answered. "I was getting a bit concerned."

"Concerned?" Cynder asked.

"Yes. It's getting rather late. Terrador and the others haven't come back yet." Cyril scratched his chin.

Manuel looked at the window, and confirmed the time. The sun was going down already, casting streaks of light, against the dimming background.

"It's still fairly early Cyril. And besides, this isn't like you," Cynder said, looking at the Ice Guardian intently.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Cyril asked.

"You're more caring than usual," Spyro asked.

Cyril blinked. "I-I am? I'm always like this."

"No, normally, you'd worry a little, and then just forget about it completely," said Manuel.

"Well, I'm different now," said Cyril.

"What's different?" A voice asked.

The four dragons turned their heads to find none other than Alyssa standing behind Spyro.

"A-Alyssa I didn't see you there," Cyril commented it. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing in particular, just taking a short break," she answered.

"That's odd," Manuel said as the two adult dragons chatted.

"What is it?" Spyro asked.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing outside.

0

"Wow…"

That was the only word that escaped Crombe's mouth as they glided down across the city streets of the Dragon City of Warfang. He never imagined being able to see other dragons, let alone see this many. Left and right, wherever he looked, he saw dragons of all ages, shapes and sizes. All this time he felt like he was the only dragon left in the world. He never knew being proven wrong could feel so good.

"Is everything okay?" Latis asked, seeing his face.

"Yeah, I'm just…just…speechless," Crombe replied.

"I think I understand where you're coming from." She smiled at him. "By the way, can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"Where were you during the time Malefor attacked? Like, where were you when Warfang was under siege by Malefor's forces? Because Malefor used Silver Temple as his lair; surely you weren't living there, so where were you?"

Crombe chuckled. "It's simple. I was—"

He was cut off however. "We're here!" Zaze shouted.

"I'll tell you later," Crombe replied.

The five dragons and a dragonfly veered around the corner and soon landed at the familiar stone pavement that was in front of the Dragon Temple. Terrador stretched his wings and led them inside. Zaze stood side by side with Crombe and Latis as they entered. He was wary of how Crombe would react, being feral and all, to other dragons. But luckily it seemed that being around Latis helped kept him in a calm state.

"Good evening, Master Terrador," said a student as they passed by him.

"Likewise," he replied. The Earth Guardian turned to face them.

"We're going to the Guardians Room to drop all of the scrolls and tomes we've managed to salvage. And also so that we can finalize Crombe's enrolment here," Terrador said.

"Enrolment?" Crombe asked.

"This is a Dragon Temple, Crombe, we're here to study," said Flame.

Crombe sighed. "Interesting, I personally have read every scroll there was at the Dragon Temple. I doubt they'll be able to teach me anymore. But it's understandable."

"Smart and dangerous," Ember said.

"I don't know whether to be scared or impressed," said Sparx.

"Same here," Flame replied.

"We'll see young dragon, we'll see," Terrador replied.

The five dragons and dragonfly rounded around the corner and soon reached the Guardians' Room, where Cyril, Alyssa, Manuel, Spyro and Cynder stood.

"I'll talk to you later," said Alyssa. Cyril nodded and the head healer left.

"Hey! They're back!" Manuel shouted. "See, I told you that was them."

"You sure did," replied Spyro.

"Cyril."

"Terrador."

"I see you guys are back." Cyril looked behind him, and saw a peculiar dragon beside Latis and Zaze.

"Who's that?" Cyril inquired.

"That is Crombe. A dragon we found living at Silver Temple."

This took the Guardian off guard. "What?"

"Where have you guys been?" Spyro asked.

"Doing errands," Flame replied.

"Who's that?" Cynder asked referring to Crombe.

"That's Crombe," Ember answered.

"Crombe who?" Manuel asked.

Crombe, who was currently looking outside the window, heard his voice and turned his head.

"Did someone call my name?"

Zaze then decided to introduce Crombe into the fray. "Guys, this is Crombe. Crombe, say hello."

Crombe just stared flatly at him and didn't respond.

Zaze blinked. "Okay. In any case, he's a dragon we met who was staying at Silver Temple. We managed to convince him to live here instead."

"Nice to meet you; the name's Spyro." He then motioned to the dragon beside him "And this is Cynder."

That was when the oddest thing happened. Crombe stared dumbly at Cynder. Zaze kept a close eye on him. It wasn't hard to tell that he was one of the many dragons that had a grudge against Cynder from his demeanor earlier. Zaze was curious as to how he was going to react, seeing Cynder face to face, in a new light.

"Y-you're Cynder?"

The dragoness smiled. "I am. Nice to meet you Crombe."

It seemed that even though in his confused state, one thing was still clear. Crombe really did hate Cynder, much like anyone did back at a time when she was the Terror of the Skies. However, it seemed that his grudge ran very deep; to the point where he was going to kill for it. In an instant, Crombe lunged at Cynder, who was caught off guard. Zaze, acting quickly, smacked him to the side with a good head butt. He skidded, crashing into the wall, knocking himself out. The Ice and Earth Guardian immediately restrained the feral dragon.

It was over before it even began.

0

"So that's his story huh?" Spyro asked.

"Yes," Zaze replied. He had just finished retelling the gang what had happened back at Silver Temple, filling them completely in with the details regarding Crombe.

"So, more or less, he's a feral dragon?" Manuel asked.

"You could say that," Latis replied. "But he's too smart to be considered one."

"He hates Cynder, end of story. I told you guys this was a bad idea," said Sparx, voicing his opinion.

"I thought you mentioned earlier that you liked him?" Ember asked.

"I did. But seeing now how volatile the guy is. Bringing him here was a bad idea," Sparx replied.

"Well, what did you expect us to do, Sparx? We couldn't leave him there," answered Latis.

"She has a point," said Flame. "But still, what are we going to do now?"

"I could try talking to him," suggested Cynder.

Everyone glanced at her, surprised at her suggestion.

"Are you serious?" Sparx asked. "You do realize what he just tried to do right? You should be thankful for Zaze over here. If he didn't act quickly enough, you'd have a scratch on your face now, or worse."

"I both agree and disagree with your suggestion, Cynder. I understand what you're trying to do, but at the same time, I think it's too risky," said Ember.

"It's not like he's going to do it again, right?" Cynder.

Everyone stared flatly at her.

"Okay, maybe he will. But doing nothing won't solve anything," she said.

"She has a point," Manuel added.

"Thank you Manuel," said Cynder.

"I agree with Cynder. This time, I'm standing right beside her, in case he blows up again," said Spyro.

Flame sighed. "This is definitely going to be interesting. Starting tomorrow, he's going to be our classmate."

"We'll just have to keep our eye on him," said Zaze. "Speaking of which, where exactly did Cyril and Terrador bring him anyway?"

"Infirmary," replied Latis. "They wanted to see if he sustained any injury from banging his head against the wall."

Zaze scratched his head. "Yeah…maybe I should go and apologize."

"I'll come with you," said Latis.

"Okay then, see you guys later."

0

"I'm sure that your intentions were good, Terrador, but are you sure he is not a feral?"

"He is not, Alyssa, I can attest to that. Albeit he attacked us back at Silver Temple and just recently, he showed great mastery of his element, well above anyone of his age. He's too smart to be considered one."

The Healer sighed and glanced at the dragon. Crombe was resting at the bed, out cold. Zaze must have hit him pretty hard.

Terrador looked at her. "I will make him my responsibility. I will make sure he does not attack Cynder, or anyone again."

"Good. Because if anything bad happens, we'll be in trouble. This infirmary is under equipped to deal with it."

"What do you mean? Are we lacking supplies?"

"Yes, we are. The order I've placed for the red gems haven't arrived yet. I need to go down there tomorrow and inquire about it but I can't."

"We'll go do it for you."

The two turned around to find the source of the voice. It was Latis who spoke. Next to her was Zaze.

"Are you sure? Don't you have training tomorrow afternoon" Terrador asked.

Latis blinked. Her kindness got the better of her. "Oh, right."

"That's why I can't do it. I'm too busy right now," said Alyssa.

"Well, I'm not busy," Zaze suggested. "I can go down there tomorrow after classes."

Alyssa smiled. "That's great then. I can ask Cyril to go with you."

Zaze blinked and had to process that for a few seconds. She just said that she'll talk to Cyril. He must have missed something because last time he checked the two were at each others necks. He made a mental note to ask it to Cyril later.

"Okay then," he replied.

"So what are you two doing here anyway?" Terrador asked.

"We wanted check in with Crombe. Is he okay now?" Latis asked.

"Aside from having a somewhat sore head once he wakes up, he'll be fine," Alyssa responded.

"I wanted to apologize to him but I guess that'll just have to wait," said Zaze.

"That it will, young dragon," Terrador replied. "Listen, it's getting late now. Why don't you two go get some sleep. I'll sort Crombe out tomorrow morning."

Latis yawned. "Okay then. See you tomorrow, Zaze."

Zaze smiled at her. "Goodnight to you too."

0

The sun shined brightly down the Dragon Temple as students of all ages headed to their respective classes to start off their day. Zaze and Spyro walked side by side together as they headed for their first subject of the day, "Dragon History".

Entering the classroom, Zaze immediately noticed the lack of the earth dragon from yesterday, Crombe.

"Hey," he said as he sat next to Manuel who was rubbing his eye.

"Oh, hey Zaze, good morning," he replied.

Zaze smiled. "Have you seen Crombe? Isn't he supposed to be studying with us?"

"I honestly don't know where he is. He is either still knocked out from yesterday, or being talked to by the Guardians."

"I see," Zaze replied.

Just then, their teacher, Master Pyrus, walked in. Everyone immediately fixed themselves and sat quietly as he stood in front.

"Good morning class."

"Good morning, Master Pyrus," replied everyone in unison.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	8. Chapter 8 Spirit Gems

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 8

Spirit Gems

"Good morning class."

"Good morning, Master Pyrus," replied everyone in unison.

"Today we will be discussing an interesting part of our culture. Has anyone of you here heard of the word Spirit Gems?"

Instinctively almost everyone raised their paws, except for a select few who clearly didn't know what they were, and one of them was Zaze.

"It's okay for you to not know this. You probably have used this before, but you just don't know the name." Pyrus scratched his chin. "Has any of you seen red gems before?

This was where everyone raised their paws. Even Zaze. He had seen these red gems before.

"No surprise there since you probably used them at one point. Now, can anyone tell me what red gems do? Yes, Manuel?"

"They heal your wounds," he answered.

"Correct. How about blue gems?"

Another dragon raised his hand. "They give you temporary strength."

"Correct again. How about…green gems?"

This time it was Cynder who answered. It was high time she had recitation.

"They are used to restore your mana."

Pyrus smiled. "Excellent. It seems all of you are well aware of the common gems that normal dragons like us can use. However, have any of you seen a purple gem before?"

Everyone raised their paws. "Who here has been able to use it before?"

This time almost everyone lowered their paws, except for Spyro and Cynder.

As if on cue, everyone turned their heads to look at Spyro and Cynder, in which the former just sighed at the attention. Cynder blushed, and looked away from eyes of the other students. Spyro on the other hand just smiled sheepishly. Zaze, Latis, Flame, Ember and Manuel, all just listened intently on the lecture.

Pyrus looked at all of them. "Purple gems are special gems. Only purple dragons are able to use it. For what purpose, you may ask?" Pyrus glanced at Spyro, who immediately realized what was going to happen next. He blinked. "Well, conveniently enough we have a purple dragon in the room, let us ask him. Spyro, can you please inform us?"

Spyro had to admit, the attention he was getting especially how everyone was staring at him, was a little bit unnerving. It was kind of like fear, but of a different kind. Not the same fear he'd normally experience when he was out fighting. No, it was a different sort of fear. Nonetheless, he curbed his feelings and cleared his throat. Of course, Spyro was a dragon that never went to school before. All of his knowledge came from first-hand experience. And experience is the best teacher there is.

"Purple gems help us...what's the word I am looking for…tap our innate element, Convexity."

Pyrus nodded. "Spyro is correct. Purple dragons are the only ones who can use the purple gems due to their innate element Convexity. It is reserved for them and for them only. If a normal dragon, such as me, were to hold a purple gem." Pyrus then turned around, and started rummaging for something. He opened one of the cabinets that was behind him, and grabbed a small bag. It jingled as he placed a paw inside and delicately took something out.

"Here we are," he said, putting the bag back and closing the cabinet, before turning back to the class. "Like I said, if a normal dragon held a purple gem," he showed to the class his paws, which held the purple gem. "Nothing would happen. You could try it yourself."

He then gave the small gem to the side of the class and they each got their small time holding it.

"Also, these purple gems are relatively hard to come by," he said, as the gem got passed around. "It's probably due to the fact that only one dragon can use it, so its availability is rather scarce. Most dragons, who do find these gems, turn it into jewelry, which in turn explains why purple gems are expensive on the market."

Eventually, it reached Latis, which of course nothing happened. She then passed it to Zaze. Zaze idly grabbed the gem, and looked at it. It was just like any other gem, except colored with the deep color of purple. It shined brightly, and had a faint glow, as he examined it. Then a thought crossed Zaze's mind. Wouldn't it have been awesome if he by some unknown reason could use a purple gem too, just for the hell of it? As if reading his own thoughts, the gems glow started to get brighter, and before he knew it, it started to break apart and begin to seep into him. One by one, the gem broke itself and the pieces turned to dust, before being absorbed by his body.

Latis was sitting idly, when a faint light came from her left. She turned her head, and was surprised to find what was happening to Zaze. His eyes were wide opened as he stared into his paw. The purple gem he held was breaking itself apart and was being absorbed by his body. Latis immediately did the one thing that came into her mind. She gently smacked Zaze's paw, flinging the purple gem, and landing on Cynder's open paw, who at the time, was about to turn around and get the gem from Zaze.

"Thanks," Cynder said.

"Y-y-you're welcome," Latis replied coolly. How lucky that was.

As Cynder turned back around, Latis grabbed Zaze and pulled him close. "What on earth were you doing?" she whispered.

"I don't know!" Zaze defended himself. A strange feeling passed through his body, no doubt the effects of the purple gem now coursing through him. It made him shiver slightly. "I just held the gem and I started absorbing it!"

Latis pulled away and scrutinized Zaze. "You're not a purple dragon, right?"

Zaze looked at her flatly. "Do I look purple to you?"

"Good point."

"Now, what do the red, green, blue and purple gems have to do with Spirit Gems?" Pyrus asked rhetorically. "Well, class, those four colored gems ARE spirit gems. Spirit Gems are important to us because it is theorized to be the life force of dragons. It is said to be the stuff that makes up a dragon. However, this is all just theory."

A dragon raised his paw. "Master Pyrus?"

"Yes?"  
"Why was it considered a theory? What started the belief that it was supposedly the life force of dragons?"

"Good question. The origin of the theory came from a rather peculiar phenomenon. During ancient times, when a dragon died, a Spirit Gem formed the next day, a few feet away from the spot he was buried in. You could probably understand as to why few dragons would come up with this theory to explain this phenomenon. However, when the time did come for this theory to be tested, disaster struck, as the Dark Master came to power."

"It's not a theory though…" Spyro said under his breath.

Cynder glanced at him. "What makes you say that?"

"The Chronicler told me this information himself."

"That's our entire lecture for today." Pyrus then stopped himself and looked around. "Where's the purple gem?"

Spyro cleared his throat. "That's kind of my bad. I…um…kind of absorbed it absentmindedly; force of habit."

The whole class laughed at hearing this. Pyrus scratched his head. "Understandable. However, you do have to make this up for me."

Spyro sighed. "I understand."

"It's okay, Spyro, I am not going to make you do something hard. It's rather easy. Class, have you ever seen Convexity for yourself before?"

Oohs and ahs were said in chorus as everyone thought of the prospect. They had never seen Convexity before. Only heard, and read about it in books. This was a good opportunity.

"I'll take that as a no," said Pyrus. He then turned to Spyro. "Since you absorbed it, might as well give us a demonstration of what Convexity looks like. Can you do it Spyro? Not full force by the way. We don't want to have any accidents."

Spyro smiled. "Sure." He then stood up and closed his eyes. He then focused his concentration in harnessing the power of Convexity.

Zaze on the other hand had been fiddling with his nose for the past few minutes. Ever since he had absorbed a small fragment of the purple gem earlier, he had been feeling odd. His tail twitched every now and then, and his body shivered slightly from the power coursing through him. Now though, he felt like a sneeze was coming to him.

"Are you okay?" Latis asked, seeing the dragon snort uncharacteristically.

"Yeah…it's just…I'm trying not to sneeze."

"Well keep trying. Spyro's focusing right now and you don't want to distract him."

True enough, the purple dragon that now stood beside him was beginning to glow a color of purple. Everyone watched silently as they were about to witness something that rarely happened. This was a treat for them. Zaze though, was having trouble keeping it in. He was beginning to make faces now.

"Ah….ah…ah…"

Luckily, everyone was distracted by Spyro to even notice his funny face.

"Ahh….ah, saved it."

But that's where he was wrong.

"ACHOO!"

As if on cue, Zaze sneezed right at the same time Spyro unleashed a small force of Convexity from his maw, hitting the wall beside Pyrus. Everyone followed the force of Convexity with their eyes as it flowed through the air and went to its mark. Unbeknownst to everyone, as Zaze sneezed, he unleashed an untamed energy of Convexity and it mixed in with Spyro's. The power was strong enough to actually break the wall, make a visible hole, and pass through it. It was then followed by a somewhat comical howl of pain from the other room.

"OOWWW!"

Smiles and laughter soon ensued.

0

"I am so sorry. I-I didn't mean to—"

"No need to apologize, Spyro. I knew full well the consequences of what was to happen so you are not to blame. I did ask you to do this, did I not?"

Spyro nodded. Pyrus was right. "You kind of did."

"I have talked to Cyril and he has understood that it was an accident."

"Where is he anyway?" Cynder asked.

"He's at the infirmary. I had Zaze and Latis take him there." Pyrus smirked. "Fortunately, the only thing that was damaged was Cyril's rump."

Spyro cocked his head to the side. "You seem happy about this."

"By any chance did you plan this from the start?" Cynder asked.

"Let's just say I always wanted to see that happen to Cyril, though with flame burning his butt than Convexity."

Spyro and Cynder looked at him, unsure of what expression to show.

"Let's just keep this between ourselves? Okay?" Pyrus asked, looking at the two of them.

Cynder shook her head and smiled at him. Spyro nodded. "Understood."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go talk to the moles. I need to get that hole fixed."

And with that Pyrus left. Spyro and Cynder were left standing there at the hallway, being passed by other student dragons headed to their room. Manuel appeared from the corner, being talked to by Flame and Ember, fresh from their bathroom break.

"I can't believe you did that Spyro!" Manuel said, as they walked to the Dining Hall. It was lunch time and their stomachs had to be filled.

"I can't believe I did that myself either!" Spyro added. "I swear I controlled that perfectly."

"Are you sure? Cause, I don't think you did," Flame said.

"Maybe you're just tired Spyro? That happens to all of us. When you think you got it, when you actually don't; it's tough," said Ember.

Cynder shook her head. "Convexity's different Ember; you can only use it, when you have full control over it. When you don't have it, you don't have it. It's simple as that."

Manuel looked at the two of them. "And you two mastered this, without training?"

Spyro glanced at Cynder, and then the two looked back at him and answered in unison. "Yes."

Manuel sighed dejectedly. "I could never do that."

"Well, it's not like we had any other choice?" Spyro replied.

"It was either learn fast, or die faster," Cynder added.  
"If you put it that way, you make it sound like the situation was bleak," Flame said.

"Because it was Flame," said Ember.

"Oh."

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	9. Chapter 9 Issues

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 9

Issues

"So let me get this straight, you sneezed out Convexity?" Latis asked in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, I kind of did. I don't know how, but I just did," Zaze replied.

Cyril groaned as he walked forward. "What are you two whispering about there?"

"Nothing. It's nothing," Latis replied, glancing at Zaze.

"So, Cyril, does it hurt?" Zaze asked.

"Not so much as it hurts my pride." The Ice Guardian sighed as they kept walking. "Do you know embarrassing it is to be cut off mid-sentence, because your ass got burned by a stray shot of Convexity?"

Latis shook her head. "No, but I think I can imagine."

Zaze just kept quiet, because he was the one that actually caused that.

Rounding around the corner, the three dragons headed inside the infirmary, which was empty of any dragons. The resident healer, Alyssa, was nowhere to be found. Closing the door behind them, Latis sought out her master.

"Where's Alyssa? Shouldn't she be here?" she asked, going over to the backrooms.

Cyril walked over to the side, and began rummaging the things that were placed at the shelves. He grabbed a flask which was filled with clear liquid, and proceeded to lie down on one of the beds.

"She's not here, because it's lunchtime," Cyril replied.

"Oh," said Latis, appearing behind Zaze. "Do you want me to go get her?"

"I am perfectly capable, Latis. I am a healer myself. Thank you, but you two should eat lunch now."

Latis nodded. "Okay, come on, Zaze."

"You go on ahead. I'll catch up with you later. There's just something I wanted to ask Cyril."

"See you there then. We'll save you a seat."

"Thank you."

And with that, Latis left. As the door closed, Zaze turned around to find Cyril in a rather…odd pose. He was lying down on the bed, and was trying reach with his forepaw, which was wet with the fluid in the flask, to reach his…backside?

"What are you doing?" Zaze asked.

Cyril relaxed and looked at him. "I need to apply some of this," he motioned to the opened flask that sat at the table nearby. "On the burn mark of the Convexity shot; I'm just having trouble right now, because I can't reach it."

Zaze watched for a few moments, as Cyril showed his point. He truly couldn't reach it. The Ice Guardian closed his eyes, and sighed.

"Zaze?"

"Yes?"

"Before I answer that question you wanted to ask, can I ask a favor from you?" The Guardian looked at him straight in the eye.

Zaze gulped. He got a bad feeling all of a sudden. "What is it?"

"Would you kindly please rub this on my ass?"

A lot of thoughts passed through Zaze's head.

0

The Earth Guardian sighed. "I understand that it must be very hard for you right now, Crombe. But going around, and attacking a dragon is not something you can do so freely here."

"It wasn't just any other dragon. It was Cynder."

"Yes, but you must understand. She is different now. She is no longer evil."

"I can hardly believe that."

"But you must. The sole reason we all are here is because of her and Spyro's efforts. Without the two of them, we wouldn't even be talking here."

Crombe huffed and look away. "You speak like it's easy for you to forgive her for what she did to all of us."

Terrador tapped his paws on the floor gently. "It wasn't. I admit I lost a few good friends because of her, but I couldn't blame her for what she did. It wasn't her actions, but of the Dark Master."

Crombe looked at him and narrowed his eyes. "That's it? Just friends? You only lost just a few good friends?" He shook his head. "I lost my life because of her! How can you expect me to easily live my day to day life, knowing full well that the dragon that cost me everything is right by me, pretending that nothing ever happened?"

"I can assure you, Crombe, she has atoned for what she has done."

"Cynder has atoned for what she has done? Does that mean that she has been tortured and hurt so that she knows the pain she has caused?" Crombe asked.

Terrador bit his lip. Crombe was stubborn dragon. "You could say that," he answered. "What I need you to do, Crombe, is to just trust her. And apologize."

"I'll apologize," Crombe said. "But nothing you can do can make me trust her."

"Good," Terrador replied. "And promise me you will not attack her because of your grudge."

"I'll keep that promise as long as she stays away from me," Crombe said.

And with that, Crombe turned around and left the room.

Terrador sighed, and stood up. Crombe was a ticking time bomb. If he couldn't think of a solution that could defuse the tension inside Crombe, he'll explode and that wouldn't be a good thing. This tension he has with Cynder has to be resolved as soon as possible, but how, the Guardian didn't know.

0

Cyril groaned.

The feeling of the once burning sensation now gone was a relief to him. Especially how it was being applied definitely felt good. Though, it was a bit awkward.

"There? Better?" Zaze asked.

"Much better…" Cyril replied. Then he looked at him. "You said you wanted to ask me something earlier. What is it?"

Zaze looked at him. "You and Alyssa seem to be in better terms now."

Cyril nodded. "Yeah…what about it?"

"What happened?"

"What do you mean what happened?  
"Oh you know what I mean. Back before, you two were at each other's throats, and now, you seem to be like good friends with each other. What happened?"

"Well…"

0 = 0 = 0

"I was…reflecting, about the things you've said. Listen, I'm sorry okay."

Alyssa scoffed and rolled her eyes. She was about to turn, when Cyril grabbed hold of her shoulder.

"I mean it." He looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry. For everything."

Alyssa looked into his eyes, and saw his intention. He really did mean it. However, before she could reply, a loud crash came from above, disrupting their encounter.

"What was that!?" Cyril shouted.

"Cyril, when all of this is over, we'll talk? Okay?" Alyssa asked.

"I understand."

"Good. Now come on, that couldn't have been good."

0 = 0 = 0

"After everything calmed down, with you three surviving your encounter with the Dark Dragon, we did talk."

"Okay. And I am guessing you apologized?"

Cyril bowed his head. "I did. You were right, Zaze. I am an arrogant self-righteous bastard. And I came to realize that much later than I hoped. Alyssa decided to give me a second chance, so here I am now."

Zaze nodded. "So does this mean you two are together now?"

Cyril gave Zaze a look. "Where did you get that idea? And besides, I decided for myself to just stay friends with Alyssa. It's for the better anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"I think my Casanova days are over, Zaze. I've caused enough damage already. I feel like I shouldn't be allowed to be in love again."

"Isn't that a bit too harsh?"

"Probably, but it's a consequence I have to live with. And Alyssa is a living reminder of that. Who knows how many other dragonesses are out there, just waiting to give me a piece of their mind?"

Zaze nodded. Hell hath no fury like a dragoness scorned. "So basically, you're chastising yourself, as a way to atone for everything you've done?"

Cyril blinked. "In simpler terms, yes."

"Wouldn't that be a bit too harsh for you? I mean, can't you changed it to being faithful instead? Being faithful is easier than being chaste."

"Faithful to whom? Alyssa? I doubt that she'll ever accept me back after all the stuff I've done to her."

"You can always try, right?" Zaze suggested.

Cyril looked at him and sighed. "You know, you have a point. But this time, I'm going to have her make the moves. If she doesn't want me, it's fine. But if she does, she can have all this to herself."

Just then, the unthinkable happened.

"Is someone in here—OH MY DEAR ANCESTORS!"

Zaze and Cyril looked towards the door, to find a shocked Alyssa staring at them, maw opened in horror.

That was when it occurred to the two of them what they must have looked like.

"IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" Cyril shouted. "I CAN EXPLAIN!"

"ZAZE! Get away from Cyril NOW!" Alyssa shouted.

0

"Sorry I'm late guys!" Zaze said as he walked over to their table. Spyro and Cynder were happily chatting with Flame and Ember, whilst Manuel was talking to Latis.

"Zaze!" Latis exclaimed, seeing him. "Here's your seat," she said, motioning for him to sit next to her.

"Thank you!" replied Zaze.

"So what did you two talk about?" Latis asked, as Zaze grabbed something to eat.

"Oh, nothing," Zaze replied. "Just checking in on an old friend."

0

Terrador walked down the halls of the Temple, and happened to come across Cyril who was walking rather oddly.

"Ah, Cyril, just the dragon that I was looking for…" He then noticed his walk. "What happened to you?"

Cyril sighed. "A stray shot of Convexity hit me."

"Convexity? Did Spyro—"

"He did. Pyrus made him do it as a demonstration. I swear, I think that dragon has it in for me," he said, half joking and half serious. "Anyways, you were looking for me?"

"Yes. Listen, it's about Crombe."  
"That earth dragon you brought back the other day? Is he still attacking Cynder?"

"No. If he did, we would have heard of it now."

Cyril's brow rose up. "So what is it then?"

"He has trust issues."

"That explains why he still hates Cynder. It's understandable. I'm guessing you are planning on doing something about it?"

"Yes. But how, is why I came to you."

"Me?"

"I think I have an idea as to how to fix this."

"Do tell."

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	10. Chapter 10 Pairs

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 10

Pairs

"But I am telling you, NOTHING HAPPENED!"

"Then why was he rubbing your butt then!?"

"I couldn't reach it! He was there, so I asked him, okay?" Cyril explained. He sighed. "And besides, I wouldn't do that. You are way too quick to judge."

Alyssa scratched her chin. "I guess you're right. You're not really the molesting type."

Cyril just stared at her, and shook his head.

"Anyways, why are we doing this again?" Alyssa asked as they walked side by side.

"It's because of Crombe."

"That dragon that attacked Cynder?"

"Yes, that earth dragon. He seems to have trust issues with Cynder that will result to violent tendencies if not resolved."

"And Terrador believes that this plan of his would work on the stubborn dragon? Isn't this a bit to selfish? Doing all this for one dragon."

"Not really. It's for everyone at the same time. This plan would quell any insecurity they may have with Cynder, since it forces them to be isolated with her for an amount of time. Yes, I too have faith in this plan. Who knows what Crombe would do?"

Alyssa nodded. "Where IS Crombe anyway?"

"I've asked him to not be late for my class, so he should be there," said Cyril.

0

"Hey there!"

"Oh. It's you," Crombe replied flatly.

"It's me! Zaze! How are you Crombe?"

The dragon sighed. Why wouldn't the annoying dragon just let him be? "Leave me alone."

Zaze blinked. Never had he encountered someone so…unsociable. Sensing that he was having trouble starting a conversation, Latis decided to pitch in.

"Come on, is that how you treat everyone?" Crombe turned his head to face her.

"Yes." His expression relaxed. Though, he still maintained his stone faced composure. Zaze sighed, and shook his head. Socializing with Crombe was like talking to a brick wall. He needed another strategy.

But that had to wait since their teacher just arrived. The door opened and in came in Cyril. But right behind him was the resident healer, Alyssa. What was she doing here? Zaze took his seat, right beside Latis as all of them quieted down as the two dragons stood up front.

"Good morning class," said Cyril.

"Good morning, Master Cyril; good morning Master Alyssa."

"Now all of you may be wondering, why Alyssa is with me here right now, aren't you?" Cyril asked rhetorically.

"Because we have a special announcement," Alyssa replied.

Now this got everyone's attention.

"We, the Guardians have been thinking about it, and we decided to try something new for all of you," Cyril began.

"And that is, to go camping," Alyssa ended.

That was when the classroom became busy with talk.

"Camping trip? Wow, that's definitely new," said a dragon.

"Where are we going to camp?" asked another.

"I'm glad you asked. We're going to the Valley of Avalar. There's a clearing there we've spotted and secured and is now the perfect place for us to camp."

"When are we going?" asked a dragoness.

Cyril smiled. "Right now, actually?"

"Seriously!?"

"Seriously."

The class erupted into a chorus of cheers as everyone chattered excitedly about the supposed camping trip. Many mentioned that this was their first time doing this, which explained why they were very enthusiastic. Cyril and Alyssa began herding them out of the class, one by one in a straight line. Or they tried to keep them in line. Crombe on the other hand just sighed and moved with the crowd.

Zaze walked up to Cyril as they began walking outside.

"Are our class the only ones going on a camping trip?"

"Yes," Cyril replied.

"Why? Isn't that a bit unfair?" Latis asked.

"Not really. This is more like a dry run. We're testing this idea out if the students like this, and if feedback is good—which it's shaping up to be—then this will be a regular thing."

"Is the area safe though?" Manuel asked, walking behind them.

"We've coordinated with Chief Prowlus and have agreed to safeguard the perimeter for the duration of our stay."

0

"Well this is definitely reminiscent of old times."

"Sparx, you didn't have to come with us," Spyro replied.

"Well, I would have missed out on the fun! And besides, it's refreshing to get out once in a while."

"Do you think we'll meet Hunter there?" Cynder asked, flying close beside them.

"Probably," Spyro answered. "But I do hope so."

A few paces behind them were Latis and Zaze, flying close to each other, next to Ember and Flame.

"Is this your first time going camping?" Zaze asked.

"Yes," Latis replied, "I'm not really the outgoing type."

"I thought you were," replied Flame.

"I wonder how everything will turn out…" Ember said.

A few moments later, they were leaning to the side and were descending down a clearing. Zaze looked to the side and saw a village, jutting out from the forest. That was no doubt the Cheetah Village. Speaking of which, were eagerly waiting for them down the clearing. As they landed, Cyril and Alyssa immediately walked up to Chief Prowlus, whilst the other cheetahs directed the other dragons to assemble at the side for the time being.

"Chief Prowlus."

"Cyril."

"You two are really going to do this?" he asked.

"Yes. We find it necessary, plus it benefits all of them so that the two will be easily accepted," Alyssa replied.  
"Well, I understand. But do be wary. We will be guarding the perimeter and will raise the alarm the moment we caught sight…of it."

"Any news on the other two?" Cyril asked concernedly.

"No, not yet; give them time."

"Understood."

And with that, Chief Prowlus nodded, and then turned around. The two guardians approached the talking bunch of students who were eagerly waiting for the next piece of news. And Cyril had it, in a scroll. He took it out from the bag that he had saddled on and began to unroll it.

"Now before all of you set up your tents, I have an announcement for all of you. We will be doing the Buddy System, throughout the entire time we are here, for safety reasons and part of your learning exercise," Cyril began, "This learning exercise will serve as a test of trust for the two of you. Dragons who work together will accomplish more goals and become more successful. So unless you are coordinated with one another, you surely will have a hard time with the coming exercises."

"Now what that means is that, you will be paired with someone for the rest of the time you are here. You are to be with each other at all times, with whatever you are doing."

"We came up with the buddy system idea from observing Spyro and Cynder when they had to go and fight Malefor. During that entire time, they were tethered together. Because of this, they had to learn how to work together in order to survive," Cyril explained.

"Of course we won't be tethering you together like Spyro and Cynder were," Alyssa added, "This is just so you all learn how to work together with someone."

"Okay…first pair is…"

As Cyril began announcing the pairs, at the back, Zaze was talking with Latis.

"Pairs eh? Who do you think you're going to get paired with?" Zaze asked.

"I hope it's you," she answered.

Zaze looked at her, prompting her to explain. "You know, because I already know you. We're friends."

"You have a point."

"Okay…next pair. Zayril and Alec."

A blue ice dragon looked at the fire dragon next to him. "Awesome!"

The fire dragon however didn't seem as enthusiastic.

"He seems awfully cheery," Manuel replied.

"Well, that fire dragon he was paired up with doesn't seem that excited," Sparx said, "Maybe he thinks that Zayril is annoying or something."

"He's always like that," one of the other dragons said, "He just doesn't express himself."  
"Why? This is a fun exercise. Why wouldn't he be excited?" Cynder asked.

"Well, for one thing, I don't have a partner, like you guys do."

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked, looking at him.

"I think I understand what Manuel is talking about." Sparx added.

"Thank you, Sparx. Well, if we're talking about pairs, might as well put it out in the open. In our circle of friends, there are already pairs: You and Cynder and Flame and Ember."

"You're forgetting one other couple—I mean pair." Sparx directed their attention to two particular dragons.

Spyro, Manuel and Cynder turned their heads and saw Zaze and Latis. The two dragons were chatting happily with each other, with Latis staying awfully close to Zaze. Spyro shook his head.

"I don't get it."

"What do you mean?" Cynder asked.

"I don't understand what you guys see in them," he replied, looking at Sparx.

"Oh really?" Sparx replied skeptically. "What do you see then, Spyro?"

"I see two good friends who value each other like brother and sister," Spyro replied.

Cynder just sighed, and Sparx shook his head.

"The next pair is, Manuel and Celsius," Alyssa called out.

"Well I have to go guys. It seems I just got paired," Manuel replied, before moving away from the group.

"Next pair is Spyro and Ember." Cyril announced.

Now this piece of news was taken with a bit of shock to everyone, especially to the two called. Spyro glanced at Ember, who was equally surprised, but nonetheless smiled back at him.

"Now that's interesting. Who am I going to get paired with then?" Cynder asked Spyro.

"I don't know. I didn't think this would be random," Spyro replied.

"This should be interesting," replied Sparx.

"Next partners would be, Zaze and Latis," said Alyssa.

Cynder cocked her head to the side. "Oh come on! I thought this was random!"

"Honestly, I can agree with you on that one," Sparx added.

"Well I guess we're partners, " Zaze replied, looking at Latis.

Latis on the other hand didn't know what to feel. On one hand she was glad that she was paired up with Zaze. But on the other, she kind of didn't like being around him for too long. It made her feel edgy. But there was no going back now.

"Yeah we are," Latis replied, smiling at him.

"Flame and Draiana," said Cyril.

"Okay…" Flame replied. "At least it's someone in our class."

"Then lastly, we have Cynder and Crombe," said Alyssa.

"What?" Cynder and Crombe, both said in unison, looking at each other.

"Oh great…" Sparx said, looking at the two.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	11. Chapter 11 Rock Wall

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 11

Rock Wall

"So let me get this straight…we're supposed to sleep together? For three days?"

"That is correct."

"And you're okay with this?"

"Yeah, I don't understand why you seem so high strung about this."

"It's just…"

"Relax, okay? Now, which side do you prefer? Left or right? Either one is fine with me. And if you're feeling so nervous, I promise I won't go near you."

"Okay…well…left side."

"Right side it is for me then."

Zaze then fixed up the quaint little tent that they had going. The cheetahs were kind of enough to lend them all some camping materials. And from that, they were going to construct their makeshift tent. It was small, but enough to keep them sheltered from the elements for three days. Thick leather like fabric was tied to two posts that were in place on the ground. From there, the fabric was stretched until it covered enough space for two dragons, and was secured to the ground by rocks. They had a roof, and at the same time, a windscreen to protect them from the heat and cold winds that may pass. The ground was soft enough to lie down so they were fairly comfortable. As for warmth, well, they had each other.

"Hey Zaze?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think Cynder and Crombe are going to be fine?"

Zaze sighed and sat next to her. "I don't know. But what I do know is that, the Guardians won't do this sort of thing unless there's a good reason. I think what they're trying to do is to have Crombe be friends with Cynder."

"You have a good point," Latis replied "I do hope this plan works though."

"I wonder what we're going to be doing out here anyway. I mean our supposed exercises."

"Probably some elemental training exercises that we normally can't do in the Temple due to limited space. Like aerial elemental combat."

"Oh, that sounds dangerous," Zaze replied jokingly.

"Oh you."

0

"Are you sure we did the right thing?" Alyssa asked.

"Of course; I believe this plan will work," Cyril replied, looking outwards.

"And if it doesn't?"

"I'll count on you to help me fix any injury Crombe might inflict on Cynder."

Alyssa was a bit shocked at how fast he replied. "I thought you believed in the plan!?"

"Well, everything must have a contingency plan. This isn't an exception."

Alyssa sighed. She then moved to the side and looked at the scrolls that were lying on their bed.

"So…what's our first activity?"

Cyril smiled. "Did you see that rock face earlier?"

"The one that had the river at its base?"

"Yeah, that one."

"I saw it. What's your point?"

0

"Isn't this a little dangerous?" Flame asked. "What do you think?"

The dragoness beside him looked up. "Uh…"

"You know how to swim right?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then we'd have no problem."

And with that, the two began to climb. The first exercise was relatively simple. The dragons would scale a rock wall that had decent height. Keyword: scale. They weren't allowed to use their wings at all; that was the catch. And to make sure of this, the Guardians had their wings tied to their side. The rock wall they were going to scale had a safety measure to it, and that was the river that was passing underneath it. If they were to fall, they would safely splash down in the water, completely unharmed and unscathed, albeit shaken.

"Now remember, you are allowed to use your element as you see fit, to help you overcome this exercise. This is not a race; take it at your own pace!" Cyril shouted from the ground.

Immediately, a dragon had fallen into the river, splashing water everywhere. If a dragon was to fall into the water, their partner would immediately have to scale back down and start again from the bottom. This exercise was to serve as a lesson of teamwork, coordination, ingenuity and a lot of upper body strength.

Somewhere in the middle, Zaze carefully wiped the bead of sweat that formed atop his head.

"I knew I should have exercised more." He grunted, as he pulled himself up. "How are you holding up, Latis?"

The dragoness in question was a few paces below him, resting on a small ledge. "I'm fine. How about you?"

"Peachy. Just peachy!"

"Oh come on, Zaze, I know you're stronger than that! Put some backbone into it!"

"Shut up, Sparx. You try scaling a wall and see how well you do it!"

The dragonfly grinned and flew off, heading to the next pair he saw with his eyes. Spyro and Ember were equally having a tougher time. Surprisingly, it was Spyro that was out of breath, and was hanging on a ledge. Ember looked like she was having the time of her life, scaling the wall with ease.

"How on earth are you doing this!?" Spyro asked.

Sparx decided to lighten up the mood a little. "Because she's not fat, unlike you!"

Everyone chuckled, and a few fell as they their lost grip, after hearing the joke.

"HEY! You're supposed to be on my side!"

Sparx just grinned at him, and then went on his way, moving over to Manuel and his partner, Celsius. The two were equally having a hard time. Celsius was hanging on the ledge, whilst Manuel was pulling her up with every muscle in his body. Just then, loud voices entered his ear, making him turn his head. A few feet to the side were Cynder and Crombe. The two were, at best, cooperating with each other. Crombe was easily traversing the cliff with no problem, but Cynder was lagging far behind.

"Hurry up, will you!" Crombe shouted.

"Easy for you to say! I have nothing to grab hold onto!" Cynder shouted back.

Crombe shook his head. Was the Terror of the Skies REALLY this physically weak? "Why do I have to do everything?"

He concentrated all of his elemental energy to his paws, before stabbing hard at the ledge he was standing on. It generated a shockwave, which shook the entire cliff face. Shouts and screams soon followed after, as everyone did not expect the wall to suddenly vibrate. Dragons fell from the cliff down to the river below, as a massive slab of rock jutted out from the side of the rock wall. Crombe had basically created a sturdy platform, for anyone to stand on, with the aid of his earth element.

"There!" he shouted. "Does that help?"

Cynder however was too transfixed at just what happened to even respond. That was the first time she had ever seen someone move earth like that before. Spyro had an earth element, but she had never seen him terraform like this before. Down below, the cheetahs, Cyril and Alyssa were somewhat speechless, as they saw the rock jut into place.

"Was that—"

"Yes that was him."

"Did he just—"

"He did."

"Oh my gosh…I thought only Earth Guardian Candidates are taught to that calibre!"

"He must have been self-studying," Cyril replied. "Now we have to keep a closer eye on him. If he attacks Cynder, he might end up hurting her seriously."

"I agree."

Back up top, Zaze was hanging on for his sake. The sudden vibration of the cliff face upset his balance, making him lose his grip. He was now practically hanging off the cliff face by his tail, as he had luckily managed to snag a tree root. But it wouldn't hold for long.

"ZAZE!" Latis shouted. She had seen the whole thing, and it looked straight out of a cartoon.

"Are you okay!?"

"Do I look okay!? Pull me up!"

"Got it!"

At another side of the cliff, were Flame and Draiana, making some headway. They had managed to reach the rock platform Crombe had made, and decided to rest there for a while. Flame wiped the brow of his forehead, as he lied down, looking up at the sky. The sun was already setting and the two moons they had were slowly becoming visible. But by the looks of things, it seemed like it'll rain later. Dark grey clouds were flying ahead. Wind was already beginning to pick up, as a cold breeze blew over them. His partner shivered a little.

"Cold?" he asked.

"A little."

Flame sighed and looked up. They only had a few feet to go, and by the looks of things, only one pair was close to finishing, and that was Cynder and Crombe.

"Can you still keep going?" he asked.

The dragoness perked up. "Of course! I have to be strong!"

"That's the spirit."

Just then, an uncharacteristically loud scream came from below. The two dragons looked down to see a purple dragon fall from the side of the cliff face, followed by a pink blur.

"Was that—"

"Yes, that was Spyro."

"Wow…and here I thought the purple dragon was good at everything he did."

Flame chuckled. "Trust me. He's a normal dragon, just like us."

Spyro on the other hand was screaming at the top of his lungs. "I NEVER KNEW FALLING WAS THIS SCARY!" Not once in his life had he ever felt such a rush as he fell from a great height. He always had his wings there for him, to save him just as he was about to crash down the floor. Things now, however, were different.

"AHHHH!"

A big splash soon followed after as Spyro crashed down the river. Everyone who had been watching the whole spectacle laughed at the prospect that the purple dragon had failed a seemingly simple task.

"Are you okay?" A dragon called out, grinning at him.

Spyro coughed and smiled, seeing as the others were rushing over to him. "I'm okay!"

"WATCH OUT!"

"CANNONBALL!"

It seemed everyone had forgotten that Ember was still falling.

"What on earth are they doing?" Chief Prowlus said, as he approached The Ice Guardian.

"Chief Prowlus, surprise seeing you here," Cyril replied, looking at him.

"I wanted to look over, to see for myself what the commotion is all about. I did send out a few of my men to guard the perimeter."

The cheetah's brow rose, seeing as the purple dragon was basically splashing his fellow dragons with water. And the others, splashed back. Soon, a playful water fight had erupted.

"Aren't they supposed to be training?" he asked.

"Suppose to be; it kind of ended just a few minutes ago. They're just having fun now."  
"I see."

Up top however, things were still relatively serious. Crombe stood proudly at the top, waiting patiently for his partner to reach the summit. He looked to his right, to see an electric dragon pull himself up, before breaking down and panting like a tired dog. He was soon followed after by an ice dragoness, who was equally exhausted as he was.

"I…am….so out of shape…" Zaze said, in between breathes.

"You and me…both…" Latis replied.

Crombe looked down and saw that everyone else was at the river, basically playing and no longer doing the exercise. He rolled his eyes, and looked to his left to see Cynder walking up to him.

"We made it," she replied.

"Yes."

"Thanks for—"

Crombe cut her off before she could even finish. "Don't thank me. I was only doing it for the sake of the exercise. I still hate you." His tone dripped with acid that made Cynder cringe a little.

And with that, he walked off the edge and fell down to the river below.

"What is wrong with that guy?" Zaze said, walking over to Cynder.

"I…I don't know…I get this feeling he wants me dead more than anything," she replied.

"I'll try and talk to him later," Zaze replied. "Right now, we need to get back down, I think it's going to rain."

Zaze and Latis jumped off the cliff and into the water with the rest of the dragons. Cynder however preferred to carefully climb back down, being careful not to fall.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	12. Chapter 12 Voices

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 12

Voices

"HARDER! COME ON! HARDER!"

He could only grunt in frustration, as he tried to fulfill the dragoness's request.

"I…I…I think…I think it's coming out!"

"That's great! Now pull out! Pull it out!"  
"Uh…we have a problem."

"What!?"

"It's stuck!"

"It's stuck!?"

"It is! What do we do!?"

"Let me think for a second…"

"Well, you better hurry, because I don't think I can hold it any second longer!"

"Try shifting it a little to the side."

"That's no good. Now I'm all wet!"

"Maybe I can get it out if I go in deeper!"

The dragoness grunted, as the male dragon increased his efforts.

"I don't think it's working! What do we do!?"

"What on earth are you two doing!?"

"Cyril! Uh…we were just…"

"Can you help us?"

"Of course."

And with that, the ice guardian joined in on the action. Immediately, they were seeing some progress.

"Yeah! This will be much better with more dragons involved!"

Cyril grunted, putting some muscle into it. "How are you holding up?"

"I handled bigger stuff than this."

With the combined efforts of the three dragons, they achieved their task.

"Are you okay, Latis?"

"You got me all wet, Zaze."

The male dragon chuckled. "Sorry about that."  
Cyril on the other hand just smiled. "You two make a great team. Now come on, I think it'll start raining in a few. The river's already beginning to get a little antsy."

"Come on, Latis, help me with this," Zaze said, grabbing one of the ropes of the net.

"Sure."

And with that, the two dragons dragged their big catch from the river. A net filled with fresh fish, enough for the two of them.

0

Spyro sighed as he looked out from their tent. The remains of the fire they had going earlier was now long gone, as the rain washed away the embers that were left behind. Even the remains of their dinner, fish caught from the river and cooked in the campfire, were now drenched by the rain. It looked like it was going to rain hard earlier, and when it actually did, it poured. The entire forest looked like it was under a shower, as the rain fell continuously from the sky. The sound of raindrops pattered above their makeshift tent, making a somewhat natural rhythm. Beside him was his partner, Ember.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I am," Spyro replied.

"You're worried about her, aren't you?"

Spyro glanced at her. "I am…"

"Don't worry, Spyro. The Guardians made sure to keep an eye on Crombe, just in case he does something unpredictable." She cocked her head to the side, as she saw him yawn. "You better get some sleep."

The purple dragon sighed. There was no use in worrying. "I guess you're right."

He then proceeded to lie down, and turned to the side, respecting Ember's side of the bed.

"Goodnight, Ember."

"Goodnight, Spyro."

"Come on you guys, you all are sleeping already?"

"Goodnight Sparx," the two of them said in unison.

"Oh man…" said the dragonfly.

At the other side, Zaze rested his body, trying to get some sleep. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to get some sleep. It was probably the sound of the rain. Beside him though, was Latis who was fast asleep. She was exhausted from the day's activities and when time came to lie down, she fell asleep as fast as she could close her eyes. Zaze couldn't blame her. Who wouldn't be tired after climbing a rock wall, then proceeding to catch your own dinner, by using a net?

All in all, it was a great activity, as Zaze reflected. She had a smile on her face telling him that amidst all the tiring stuff they had to do, she had fun. However, as Zaze was about to close his eyes, something caught his eye. The smile on Latis' face went away, and was soon replaced with a shiver. Latis' body was shivering. She was no doubt cold from the temperature drop, brought about by the pouring rain. Zaze felt bad, seeing her uncomfortable. He only hoped that she wouldn't mind what he was about to do.

He gently scooted over, and as carefully as he could to not wake her, slid his wings and basically covered her with his wings. Immediately, he got a response. She seemed to respond to the warmth, and seemingly want more of it. She groaned a little, and began scooting over to the source of the warmth, and that was him. Before long, she had gently rested her head on his chest, listening peacefully to the beating rhythm of his heart. She even wrapped her paws around him, hugging him like a teddy bear. Zaze could only sigh at the predicament he was in. Now he couldn't move. He looked down and saw Latis nuzzling his chest. She seemed to be enjoying this more than he did. He only hoped they wouldn't get scolded for this. As the rain continued to pour down on them, Zaze closed his eyes, and welcomed sleep, eager to get some shut eye.

0

The clouds hung lazily overhead, drifting slowly as a cool breeze blew over them. The forest was still, as well as the river that quietly gushed down. The campsite was silent; with the only sound are the faint snores that emanated from the tents that littered the area. At one of them in particular, was a dragon stirring from his slumber. He opened his eyes and groaned, feeling his back ache from sleeping on the rather hard ground. His partner however, an ice dragon, was sleeping like he was on cloud 9. A smile was stretched across his maw as he hugged the ground with his body.

"I never really understood you…"

As his body was waking itself up, his mind however flashed as he remembered. He came back to him, just like he promised, in his dreams. Telling him what he needed to do. Reminding him what was at stake. He sighed, realizing the implications. Planning on what to do next, he decided to head to the river to wash his face. The ground was damp as his claws stepped on the grass, mostly from the morning dew that had accumulated over night. A sort of foggy mist had descended over the campsite, providing a cooling effect but reduced visibility. Maybe that was why there was no one awake yet. The cool temperature plus the lack of sunlight was a great atmosphere to sleep in.

Whichever the case was, it was not that important. The river was coming up, as his ears were filled with the sound of gentle gushing water.

0

Crombe sighed, releasing a visible cold air from his nostrils. He didn't expect the forest to be so cold in the morning. It was definitely a different sensation from what he was used to. But as his body ached from the morning pains one gets, his mind however was in a state of confusion more or less. The Terror of the Skies unlike anything he imagined her to be. For one thing, she was way too nice for his liking. She even shared her food with him when he finished his and wanted more. Her kindness was something he didn't expect. He was beginning to doubt himself. And doubts was something he never wanted to have.

Was she really all that bad?

Yes. She was that bad. She killed your parents. She must pay. She ruined your life, Crombe, and you know it.

The voice in his head was right. It was always right. He shook his head. Why did he ever doubt himself?

Just then, a sound of a snapping twig grabbed his attention. He whipped his head around and saw an outlined silhouette of a dragon, standing a few paces from him, hidden from his view by the thick misty fog. For a moment, the two of them looked at each other, not moving.

"You're Crombe, right?"

"What if I am? What do you want?" He wasn't in the mood to talk at the moment.

"I know who you are," he responded. "I know what you can do."

Crombe's brow rose. "Oh really?" replied smartly.

"I can help you. Help you get back at Cynder. Help you kill her."

Now this caught Crombe's attention.

"Who are you?"

"My name is not important. Your decision is though."

Crombe scrutinized the dragon. He didn't look familiar to him, nor did he think he ever saw him with the group that they were in.

"You have great potential Crombe, and I believe that your power can be stronger. All I ask is that you let me help you. Isn't that what you always wanted? More power?"

"You're lying."

"You're lying to yourself. I told you. I know who you are. I can read you like an open book. Ever since your parents died, you let revenge be the sole purpose of your life. Be the driving force to keep you going, as you survived out in the wilderness. You hungered for power as you studied every single scroll you could find. You trained yourself every day, hoping that one day justice will strike. And now here you are, partnered with the very same dragoness that ruined your life. Yet you stall to attack. And I know why. You're weak. And you know it."

Crombe cringed at the final words. It hit home.

"You're smart, Crombe. You know full well you'll lose if you attack her. You can't beat her, or the others that will fight you if you do. You can't go up against the purple dragon, her, and the four guardians, all at the same time. And you know full well that when you do have the chance, you know you can land the killing blow. So you sit here, unable to do anything. Revenge so close, yet so far."

Whoever he was, he was right. Every single word he spat out hit him hard in the chest. It was a reality check.

"All I ask is that, you let me help you."

He's brow rose. "And what if I do?"

"You could have all the power you could possibly imagine."

"What's the catch?"

The dragon chuckled. "Catch? It depends. How much are you willing to sacrifice in order for you to get the revenge you so wanted?"

Crombe closed his eyes, and thought this through. The question never really occurred to him. How much was he willing to sacrifice for his mission?

For revenge?

For justice?

"It seems you still have yet a decision. I understand. I shall leave you be."

"And when I have one? How can I find you?"

The dragon smiled. "It is not a problem. You will find me, when the time is right."

And with that, the dragon turned around, and walked away, disappearing into the thick misty fog. Crombe's head was filled with so many thoughts buzzing around; he was confused as to what to think. However, again, a sound caught his attention. He turned his head and saw someone coming towards him.

It was none other than Cynder.

"Oh, Crombe, didn't expect to see you here."

"Did you pass by someone just now?"

"Huh?"

"Did you see someone walk away from this spot?"

The dragoness shook her head. "No. I didn't see anyone."

Crombe's brow rose again. "Did you hear anything?"

"No. What is it?"

Crombe looked towards the river. "It's nothing."

There was only one way to get to this spot. And that was where Cynder came from. If she didn't see the dragon he was talking to, then…

How was that possible?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**(Note: This first scene has many sexual innuendos. However, it is only wordplay intended for the comical aspect. So there is no misunderstandings, nothing inappropriate is happening during this scene.)**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	13. Chapter 13 River Rescue

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 13

River Rescue

"So, what are you doing here?" Crombe asked Cynder.

"Probably for the same reason you're here. To wash up," Cynder answered as she stepped toward the river's edge.

"Let me rephrase that then. What are you doing here so early?"

"Honestly, because I wanted the chance to talk to you without the possibility of anyone else listening in."

"And what makes you think I would want to talk with someone like you?" Crombe growled.

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to. Just listen," Cynder said, her nerves beginning to rise, "And besides, you have an advantage over me."

"And what would that advantage be?" Crombe asked.

"I'm afraid of you, okay!?" Cynder suddenly snapped, "I'm used to others hating me for my past. And in that respect, you're no different. But never has anyone actually attacked me like you did."

"I'm surprised someone like you even knows what fear feels like," Crombe said.

Crombe doubted Cynder's words, knowing how deceptive the Dark Master and his minions could be. But as he looked into her eyes, he could see real fear. Cynder was terrified to be alone with Crombe. And that was a real advantage. Crombe smiled to himself. Maybe that dragon earlier was wrong. Weak as he was, if his prey was showing weakness, he could easily take it. Cynder on the other hand was beginning to regret saying her weakness. It was true however. She did feel unnerved by Crombe, how he didn't hesitate at all to attack her. Normally, she'd kill the enemy she was faced, like she had killed so many enemies alongside Spyro as they saved the world before. But in this case, it was different. She couldn't kill Crombe. Crombe wasn't inherently evil; he was just misguided.

"You're afraid I could attack you at any moment, aren't you?" Crombe asked.

To test this theory, Crombe jumped forward a couple inches to startle Cynder. Cynder jumped back in fear, confirming the theory. But Cynder landed on the muddy edge of the river. Due to the pouring rain the night before, the ground had weakened under it. Unable to hold her weight, the ground gave way, catching her off guard completely. She fell into the river below.

"HELP!" Cynder yelled as she was trying and failing to keep her head above water, "I can't…swim!"

Crombe watched as Cynder was pulled underwater. The river, tamed as it looked, had a strong undercurrent. This was his chance to rid the world of the Terror of the Skies once and for all. Justice would be served. But yet, at the back of his mind—his conscience—told him otherwise. Maybe he was wrong. This was what the dragon meant. This was why he was weak. Albeit he had strong resolve and all the motivation in the world, he never could bring himself to cause harm to another, since deep down, he knew full well what it felt loosing someone.

He was beginning to have second thoughts.

And Cynder was drowning fast.

0

A little further downstream, Latis was on her way to the riverbank to wash up. She was startled, though not displeased, by the fact that she was all cuddled up with Zaze when she woke up. It had been bugging her mind. She remembered that her stirring had woken up the electric dragon, prompting him to inevitably let go of her. Once the realization had hit her that they must have been in that rather romantic position all night, she had turned red like a tomato. A stark contrast to her blue scales.

Zaze yawned. "Good morning!" He stretched, flexing his muscles, a few joints clicking.

"G-good morning," Latis replied, still flustered.

It seemed either Zaze was completely unaware of what he had done, or it was completely and fully intentional, since he wasn't embarrassed at all at the position they were in.

Zaze glanced at her. "Are you okay?"

"H-huh?"

"You're red. Are you feeling hot?" Zaze absentmindedly scooted over her, and checked her temperature with the back of his paw.

"You're burning up! I should go get—"

She stopped him before he could leave. "It's okay Zaze! I'm fine!"

"Really?"  
"Really." She wasn't burning up from fever. It was from something else entirely.

"Okay…but you tell me when you feel something's wrong? Alright?"

Latis nodded. That was Zaze. The selfless dragon. "I'll just…go wash up."

So now here she was, debating to herself.

"Did I cuddle up to him?" Latis asked herself, wondering exactly what happened during the night, "Or did he cuddle up with me?" It was a bit hard to think, since Latis could still smell Zaze. She had been sleeping, resting her head on his chest after all. And Zaze, admittedly, smelled good to her.

A light blush formed again on the ice dragoness' cheeks at the thought of Zaze cuddling up with her, "It was cold last night. So maybe…"

"HELP!"

Latis' thoughts were interrupted by a cry for help upstream. She looked to see Cynder being pulled down the river…and Crombe not doing a thing to help.

"I can't…swim!" Cynder yelled as she was being pulled under.

"CYNDER! I'M COMING!" Latis shouted as Cynder began to pass by.

0

As Crombe was debating whether this was right or not, he heard Latis calling to Cynder that she was coming. Crombe looked downstream to see Latis there just before seeing her jump in the river.

"No, don't! The current's too strong!" Crombe shouted. But it was too late.

Latis swam over to grab Cynder and pull her back to shore. But to her dismay, she wasn't strong enough to battle the strong undercurrent.

"You idiot!" Crombe shouted. He only wanted Cynder to die, and not have collateral damage. Thinking fast, he broke into a sprint, running down the riverbank to catch up with the dragonesses.

Once he was close enough, Crombe focused. He channeled all his elemental power then stomped on the ground, causing a strip of land to rise from underwater to block off the path the dragonesses were heading down. It wasn't big enough to walk on, but it was big enough to hold onto. Latis crashed into the block, and hanged on for dear life. She could easily get herself out of this situation, but the added weight that was Cynder was stopping her. Cynder on the other hand was scared stiff and the only thing stopping her from panicking was Latis' grip on her.

Crombe jumped into the water and swam over to Latis. With quick dexterity, he grabbed her and began swimming back to shore. However, Cynder's grip on Latis gave way, as a strong current whipped by her. She was pulled under before she can even call for help. Without thinking, Crombe let go of Latis, and dived down to get Cynder. Latis on the other hand swam back to shore as fast as she could. The water underneath was murky with all the mud that had been stirred from the strong current. Crombe focused and spotted Cynder's body, being dragged by the current. He swam as fast as he could, grabbed her tail and pulled her close. Bubbles flowed from Cynder's maw, telling him only one thing. He had to move fast. His muscles burned, but he pushed himself to swim back to shore.

He panted as he waded through the water, and basically dragged Cynder's body. Latis ran over to him and helped. She immediately examined the dragoness. She realized that Cynder was unconscious and wasn't breathing.

"Let me take care of this! I know CPR!" Latis said as she went towards Cynder.

"What's CPR?" Crombe asked.

Latis breathed into Cynder's maw, and then began pushing rhythmically on her chest. Crombe could only watch in silence, his mind still reeling from the sudden pace of things. His body was ready to jump into action, adrenaline coursing through him. However, all he could do now was to wait. After a few tense moments and presses, Cynder suddenly coughed up some water before opening her eyes to see Latis and Crombe standing over her.

"Wha…What happened?" Cynder said in a daze.

"Crombe here just saved your life."

Crombe's jaw dropped. Hearing those words was like a slap to the face. He had just saved the life of a dragon he wanted dead more than anything. His mind finally caught up with his actions.

"You…You did?" Cynder asked Crombe.

"I…uh…I did?" Crombe said blankly, his mind having trouble comprehending what he just said.

Cynder suddenly hugged Crombe tightly, causing his mind to be even more confused.

"Thank you," Cynder said.

Crombe could feel Cynder trembling in fear from what just happened. But she was also freezing because of the water. Crombe's mind was ablaze with confusion and questions. His inner self was shouting at him. And he knew full well why.

_"What on earth is wrong with you!? You saved her! Didn't you want revenge!?"_

"_I know! It's just that…"_

"_You have issues. Make up your mind."_

Crombe sighed mentally and after a few moments, returned the embrace to help comfort her and warm her up. "You're okay now."

This time it was Latis' turn to drop her jaw. Not only did Crombe save the life of the dragoness he wanted dead, but he was even attempting to comfort her as well. The shock of what was going on made them unaware of Zaze, who was running over to them.

"Is everything okay!? I thought I heard…someone…" Zaze stopped midsentence when he saw Cynder and Crombe hugging, "Uh…care to fill me in?"

"It's a long story. But to sum it all up, Crombe just saved Cynder's life," Latis said.

"But I thought he wanted her dead," Zaze replied.

"That's why I'm trying to understand what I'm seeing right now."

"We probably should be getting back to camp," Zaze suggested.

"Yeah. I also think we should have a talk with Cyril and Alyssa about how they didn't take the idea that Cynder couldn't swim into their safety planning," Latis said before giving Crombe a stern look, "And we're gonna have to talk with you about what happened as well."

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	14. Chapter 14 Indecision

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 14

Indecision

Cyril and Alyssa were talking to Hunter when the four dragons arrived. They were assigning him to oversee the next planned activity for the day. Zaze, Latis, Cynder, and Crombe stood patiently, and let the adults do their work. After a few moments, Hunter left, and the Guardian and the Healer turned their attention to them.

"It seems that your plan to get Cynder and Crombe more comfortable with each other worked, Cyril," Alyssa said, seeing how Crombe wasn't trying to push away Cynder…or try to attack her.

"Perhaps; but from the looks on your faces, I assume what we have to talk about isn't about good news," Cyril said. He then cocked his head to the side. "Did the four of you go swimming? You're wet."

"We did," Latis replied.

"That's right. First things first," Zaze said with a sense of authority in his voice, "We want to have a word with you about your safety planning."

"Oh? What about?" Cyril asked.

"When making your safety plans, why didn't you take into consideration that Cynder can't swim?" Latis asked.

Alyssa then glared at Cyril when she realized he didn't take that safety precaution.

"I was not aware that Cynder couldn't swim," Cyril admitted, "Did something happen?"

"She nearly drowned when she fell in the river earlier!" Latis growled, "I tried to jump in to save her, but the current was too strong for me."

"Crombe ended up saving us both," Cynder said.

Cyril and Alyssa turned their heads to Crombe in shock, "You saved them? As in Latis AND Cynder?" Cyril asked.

Zaze cleared his throat, getting the guardians' attention, "Even if you didn't know Cynder couldn't swim, shouldn't you have taken that into consideration as a safety precaution?"

"Like we told you before we left on this camping trip. This is a trial," Cyril said, "We've never done this before. But you're right. We'll take that into consideration next time. But this is also why we have the buddy system."

"But what if I hadn't jumped in to save them?" Crombe spoke up.

"Exactly," Latis said before turning to glare at Crombe, "In fact, he didn't jump in to save Cynder. He was just standing there watching."

"Is this true?" Alyssa asked.

"You seem surprised. The Terror of the Skies would've been rid of this world once and for all," Crombe said, "And since her falling in the river was an accident in the first place, you wouldn't have had anything to pin on me."

"You are her 'buddy', so it was your responsibility to save her!" Zaze growled, "You would've been to blame for the exact reason that you did nothing! Her death would've been on your paws!"

"Actually, you're wrong," Crombe argued, "I was not paired with Cynder by choice. And from what Alyssa said when we came in here, Cyril paired us together intentionally. So Cynder's death wouldn't have been on my paws. Cynder's death would've been on Cyril's paws!"

"What right do you have placing the blame on me?!" Cyril defended, "And besides, I got the idea to put you and Cynder together from Terrador. So if anyone is to blame, it would be him."

"But you agreed with Terrador," Alyssa countered, "In my opinion, both of you would've been to blame. Crombe would have to pay for willingly let Cynder drown. But I'm sure if he had a choice in who he was paired up with, he probably would've chosen anyone else."

"But he didn't just let me drown. He did jump in," Cynder pointed out, stopping the argument.

"I only jumped in because I knew the current was too strong for Latis," Crombe said, attempting to protect his pride, "I only jumped in to save her. Not you."

"Even so, you could've let Cynder drown," Latis said, "Nobody told you to jump back in to save Cynder. You could've been rid of her then and there. So why did you choose to save her?"

"I…" Crombe went silent. He had no answer to that question. He honestly didn't know why he did what he did. He had some idea, but unsure if that was truly the reason behind it. "I…I wasn't thinking when I saved her."

"Then why did you hug me afterwards?" Cynder asked.

"I…uh…"

"Not only that, but you told her, and I quote, 'You're okay now.'," Latis added.

Crombe went from trying to protect his pride to having his pride crumble like a cookie left in milk for too long. But if nothing else, he could at least salvage a small part of his pride. He didn't want to admit it, but one word just came crashing down on him.

"I had a moment of weakness. When I saw Cynder there scared, I didn't see the Terror of the Skies. I saw a scared little child," Crombe said defensively, "And just for the record, Cynder, hugged me. I only returned the hug because of that moment of weakness."

"Then I suppose my plan to put you two together wasn't as successful as I thought it would be," Cyril said, "But regardless, you did save Cynder's life."

"I'm alive because of you," Cynder said.

"Please stop reminding me of that," Crombe growled, though a bit awkwardly, "And from what I saw, you're alive because Latis kissed you."

"Huh!?"

The other dragons all stared wide-eyed at Latis at this comment.

"Yeah. Latis pushed me out of the way after she told me she knew CPR…whatever that is," Crombe said, "Then she kissed Cynder, then started pressing on her chest."

"What's CPR?" Zaze asked.

The other dragons just started laughing at Crombe's misunderstanding, save for Zaze who didn't understand what was going on.

"Latis wasn't kissing Cynder," Alyssa said, still giggling, "She was just blowing air into her lungs. Then she started pressing on her chest to push any water in her lungs out. That's what CPR is."

"So…Latis wasn't kissing Cynder?" Zaze asked, causing more laughter.

After the laughter died down, the conversation got serious again, "Is it okay if you don't tell anyone else that I can't swim?" Cynder asked.

"And I'd rather not be known for saving someone I'd want to see dead," Crombe said, receiving a glare from the other dragons, "Oh, don't look so surprised."

"We will have to let the other guardians know that you can't swim. And about what happened at the river," Cyril said, "However, we will keep it a secret from the other students. I will apparently have to inform Terrador that the plan for you two failed, since it seems blatantly obvious that that's no lie."

"If you'd like, maybe I could teach you to swim," Latis suggested, "I've always had a talent with the water. So I'm sure I could teach you to swim. If nothing else, it would mean you wouldn't have it as a secret to hide anymore."

"Would you?" Cynder asked hopefully, "I haven't even told Spyro that I can't swim. And I trust him more than anyone."

"I'm sure he would understand," Latis said.

"Does this mean I can have someone else as my buddy?" Crombe asked.

"No," Cyril said, "Unfortunately, you're stuck with Cynder for the rest of the camping trip. But don't you forget your agreement that you would not harm Cynder."

"Don't worry about that. Unlike the scum of Malefor's army, I would never go back on my word. But if another accident happens, don't expect me to go and save her again. I agreed not to harm Cynder. I never agreed that I had to save her."

0

A moment of weakness? What is wrong with you?

I don't know what is wrong with me, okay? It's just…

Just what? You can't do it? That was it already! That was your chance! That was your one full clean chance and you blew it!

"Why did I do it…?"

Crombe sat down by the edge of the riverside. He felt contented to just stare at his broken reflection in the river, as his mind berated himself for his choices in life. The voice in his head screamed, shouted and was outright furious at him, asking him the biggest question of them all:

Why?

Even he himself didn't know. To suddenly go out of his way and save someone he downright hated to the core of his self. Cynder; the dragoness that cost him everything in his life: Family, future and everything else in between. Yet when presented the chance to finally get revenge, he falters.

"Why can't I do it…?"

Just then, a broken twig caught his attention. Immediately, he turned around and launched a blunt rock at the area where he thought it came from.

"Whoa!" a voice shouted.

"Zaze?"

What did that electric dragon want now?

"I come in peace!" he said, appearing out of the bushes.

Crombe growled and frowned at him. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to talk?"

"Talk? Talk about what? My heroics?"

Zaze blinked and realized how wound up Crombe was. Maybe this was a bad idea. But it was no use going back now.

"If you don't want to, it's okay," Zaze said.

Crombe sighed then turned his back against him. "What do you want Zaze?"

"I just wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About everything."

"Everything?" Crombe glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "What do you mean?"

"I just…" Zaze looked off to the river, as if the answer he was looking for was there. "I just want to understand you."

"Understand me?" Crombe's brow narrowed.

For a moment, Crombe looked at him, and the two locked eyes. Zaze patiently waited for his answer, as he could almost visually see the gears inside Crombe's head turning. And then he replied, with an answer Zaze almost expected.

Crombe smiled. Then he chuckled. Zaze could only watch as the dragon broke into a somewhat controlled fit of laugh. After a few moments, he stopped and looked at him.

"Just like that huh?"

Zaze was puzzled. "Just like what?"

"You're just going to come up to me, and say we should talk. And then we talk and become friends. As easy as that?"

"What are you—"

"Please. Spare me the nonsense. Just because I talk to you, doesn't mean we're friends, Zaze. You may be buddy-buddy with the Guardians, but I am not like them. You can't just talk to me, make me laugh, and then we'll be best friends forever, more like how you probably got all your other friends. You can't expect me to spill my life story to you, just because you asked. Don't pretend like you know who I am, or even feel empathy with me cause you don't know how I feel. You don't what I've been through.

Now please: Just. Leave. Me. Alone."

And with that, Crombe took off, walking off to the forest and disappearing behind bushes, leaving Zaze speechless.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**LATEST EDIT: I am terribly sorry, but there is a paragraph here that isn't part of the story. It's just a draft that I wrote, and decided to take out. But somehow, during post posting, I forgot to remove it. The paragraph in question is this (originally located at the end of the chapter):**

Honestly, I have half a mind set on leaving, and returning to the Temple I had and forgetting all of you. But I can't. Life out there is hard. Why go back when you got something far better? My point is this: I don't trust you, or anyone else for that matter. Trust is just a matter of perspective. Something I learned while I was out there in the wilderness.

**Yeah. This is Crombe's supposed dialogue to Zaze. But I decided to not include it. So sorry folks for that minor slip up! Again, this line of dialogue for Crombe is technically, non-existent.**

**I am very deeply sorry to my co-writer, Alec. I have forgotten to give him all the credit for last week's chapter. He was the one that wrote it all. Yes all of it. He wrote so much that I had to cut the chapter in half, so a half of the chapter written here is written by me, and half is written by him. I only added some tidbits to the chapter last week, but most it was made by my great co-writer, Alec. Give him some love guys.**

**ALSO! Important to note, as of this update, Strigon175 is now officially on board the story. He is also now another beta. Go easy on him though, he's fairly new but shows good promise!**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	15. Chapter 15 Awkward

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 15

Awkward

"What's wrong with you?" a voice asked.

He sighed. "I don't know, Sparx. I just don't know…"

"Don't know what?"

"I don't know how to deal with Crombe…"

The dragonfly crossed his arms and sat on his shoulder. "That earth dragon that wanted to kill Cynder? Why? Did something happen?"

Zaze thought for a moment. That was a closed incident. No one else was allowed to know about it.

"Not really. It's just bothering me. I mean, I tried talking to him earlier."

"How did it go?" Sparx asked.

Zaze looked back at him with a look of failure. "Oh…he's that rough huh?"

"Yeah. He completely brushed me off. He even insulted me for thinking that I could get through to him just by talking."

"He's one cold dragon. But…I digress. He has a point."

Zaze glanced at the dragonfly beside him. "What point?"

"Zaze, you know what you're problem is. You're too helpful."

Zaze was confused. "Huh?"

Sparx flew right in front of him and scratched his chin. "How do I say this…without it sounding harsh…?"

"I can take it."

"Well then, here it goes: Zaze, you're too helpful for your own good. You're way too selfless. Now, I am not saying that being nice to everyone is a bad thing. It's a good thing. But too much of a good thing is a bad thing. You can't help everyone in the world, Zaze. And you can't be nice to everyone either. They might take advantage of your kindness."

"Are you saying that I am naïve?" Zaze asked.

"Yes, and that was what Crombe was trying to tell you; just a little…harsher."

"But that's just me…" Zaze said looking down the ground. "That's who I am. And seeing other dragons in pain makes me feel pain too. I feel like I should help them."

"Have you ever asked yourself why?" Sparx asked.

"Hmm…"

Zaze thought for a cool minute.

"You've helped me and a lot of dragons already: Spyro, Cynder, Flame, Ember, the Guardians, Latis and practically everybody else. Do you know why?"

"I…I don't know." Zaze shook his head. "I just feel like I should," Zaze replied. "I feel like that's what I live for."

Sparx nodded. "Maybe you should back off for a while. Give Crombe a little bit of space."

"But I'm afraid he might do something drastic."

"We can only hope he doesn't then."

0

"Hey Latis, what's up?" a dragoness called out.

The ice dragon turned around to find Ember, looking at her. "I'm fine."  
"Where have you been? I was looking for you earlier."

"You were? I was…with Zaze," she replied.

Latis didn't like lying, but the incident was meant to be secret. Ember smiled mischievously, something that caught Latis' attention.

"Speaking of Zaze," she said sitting next to her. "Where is he?"

Latis shrugged. "I don't know."

"I'm surprised you don't know where he is," Ember looked at her. "Given how you two were SO close to each other last night."

Latis blinked. It took her a moment to realize that her greatest fear has come true. Someone DID see them last night in the position they were in.

"Y-you saw that?"

Ember chuckled, seeing as how flushed Latis was. She was red as a tomato. "I did. All of it, and the best part is you two look so perfect for each other!"

"I-it's not what you think, I swear!"

"Then what is it then?" Ember asked.

"I…don't know. I slept last night a fair distance away from him. When I woke up…we were like that…"

"Oh I see how this went through. It was cold last night. He got concerned!"

Latis only stared at Ember who was grinning at her. "It's only natural. Zaze is nice like that."

"Uh huh, and I'm pretty sure you snuggling up to him was pretty natural too."

That comment hit the mark. It made Latis turn beet red. Ember broke out laughing, seeing as how flustered Latis was.

"Okay, I was just kidding!" Ember said. "You look like you're about to faint, seeing all that red on your face."

Latis calmed down and looked at her. "For the record, we're just friends okay."

"Okay…" Ember said coolly. "I'll take your word for it. Seeing as that's how I and Flame started."

"Ember!"

She grinned. "Fine! I'll stop teasing."

"What are you guys talking about?"

The two turned their heads, and conveniently find Zaze, walking up to them.

"Speak of the dragon," Ember said.

Latis just gave her a death glare. "Oh nothing," she replied.

Ember smirked. "I'm going to go talk to Flame. You two need to talk, bye!"

Latis growled under her breath. Zaze on the other hand just waved goodbye to the dragoness.

He then turned his head to Latis. "What did she mean?"

"Huh?"

"She said we should talk; about what?"

"It-was-uh-um—"

Zaze decided to make a wild guess. "Is this about what happened last night?"

Latis eyes widened. Zaze snorted, seeing as his hunch was correct. He decided to sit next to Latis and explain himself. It was only appropriate.  
"Listen, about last night—"

"It's ok—"

The two stopped, seeing as they were talking both at the same time. "You go first," said Latis.

Zaze sighed. "About last night, I shouldn't have done that. Hugging you was way out of line for me. And in my defense, you were cold; you were shivering actually. We didn't have a blanket…so I just…you know. Forgive me?"

Latis blinked. The apology completely caught her off guard. But that meant one thing. Zaze hugging her WAS intentional. He must have gotten worried for her. She smiled warmly. "It's okay, Zaze. No harm done."

"That's a relief. I was worried that someone might have seen us in that position last night and thought something was up. When I saw how Ember was teasing you, I got the gist that that was the topic. I'm sorry for causing you embarrassment."

Latis smiled. "Please Zaze, stop apologizing. You did what you had to do, and I don't blame you for that. You are a gentleman after all."

Zaze puffed his chest out proudly. "I try to be."

Ember on the other paw didn't leave completely. She had secretly hidden herself at the bushes nearby, and had eavesdropped on their conversation. She shook her head as she heard the conclusion to their conversation.

"Hmm…why is it that I get a bad feeling between these two?"

"Hey Ember!"

"Whoa!" The dragoness turned around to find Draiana looking at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Why are you whispering?"

"I asked the question first!"

"There's nobody here, Ember. What are you doing hiding in the bushes?" Draiana asked, looking at her curiously.

"What?" Ember then turned around to find, sure enough, Zaze and Latis were gone.

"So…? Were you spying on someone?" Draiana looked at her crossly.  
"Yes. But they're gone now. What do you want?"

"Have you seen Spyro and Cynder?"

Ember shook her head. "No. Want me to help you look for them?"

"Yes please."

And with that, the two dragons took off.

0

"Okay…just…deep breaths…take it easy. You don't have to go deep if you don't want to. I'll be here for you."

Spyro watched patiently as Cynder followed his advice and went down. He was shocked to hear about the news of Cynder nearly drowning. He was even more shocked by the fact that his mate didn't know how to swim. Regardless, he didn't ridicule her for it. Like the good dragon he was, he immediately suggested he teach her to. It seems the times he and Sparx had while playing at Silver River was finally paying off. As he watched her practice breathing techniques to help her lengthen her lung capacity, his mind wandered off to the drowning incident; to Crombe, specifically. Spyro didn't know what to think. Crombe was a dangerous dragon, yet he himself understood why. He was just unsure though, how to approach the situation entirely. He was debating whether to treat Crombe as an enemy, or as a friend—just with issues.

"I should ask Zaze for his opinion on this…"

Spyro looked to his right and saw Cynder swimming up to him. It seemed that she was beginning to get the hang of it. Just then, he noticed that she wasn't slowing down.

"Cynder, is there a—"

"Charge!"

"Oh no."

A huge splash soon followed after. Spyro coughed out water whilst Cynder was on top him. She tackled him far enough for them to be in relatively shallow water.

"And here I thought you feared water," Spyro replied, looking at her.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist. On the plus side, I'm getting the hang of it."

"That's great, Cynder. Now can you please get off?"

Just then, the expression on Cynder's face changed. She smiled deviously and lowered her head to be close to Spyro and whispered: "Make me."

It seemed Cynder's idea of celebrating her new found ability was something to take note of. However, happy fun time would have to be cut short, as Ember and Draiana arrive at the scene.

Ember smirked. "Get a room you two!"

Spyro and Cynder turned their heads and realize the position they were in. Immediately, they fixed themselves and went into a decent position.

"It's not what you think! I swear!" Spyro replied, however his rosy cheeks say otherwise.

"He was just teaching me how to swim," Cynder added.

Ember just rolled her eyes. "Uh huh, and I'm pretty sure you were about to show him your form."

Draiana stifled a giggle. "Anyways, the Guardians are looking for you two."

"Okay! Thanks!" Spyro replied, watching the two walk away.

Ember just chuckled. "Oh those two…"

"Thanks for helping me, look for them."

"You're welcome."

"Listen, I have to go. See you later," she replied, before taking off.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	16. Chapter 16 History

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 16

History

"Hey Cyril?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

The Guardian smiled. "I am glad you asked."

The two dragons were inside their homey tent. Cyril was sitting down beside a satchel which contained some scrolls. One in particular was laid out in front of him, which seemed to have been a list of items.

"This, Alyssa, is preparations for the upcoming Acquaintance Gala."

"Wow…this is a…long…list…"

Cyril blinked. Did he hear that right? He then turned his head and saw that Alyssa was staring at him. "What is it? Is there something on my face?"

"No. There's nothing on your face. Cyril, can I ask you a question?"

"Yes?"

"The Acquaintance Gala…are you going to attend?"

"Yes. Guardian presence is a must; with all the preparations that are being done, we have to make sure everything goes smoothly, since after the Acquaintance Gala, you-know-what happens."

"You do know with parties…it's always best to attend with someone with you, right?"

Cyril raised his brow. What was she playing at? And what was with that look she was giving him? "Yes. Your point being?"

"Are you going with someone?"

"No." Cyril answered flatly.

"Why?"

"Does it matter?"

Alyssa then licked her lips which Cyril found rather…he didn't know the words he could use to describe how he felt. But he was pretty sure it wasn't decent. Wait. What on earth was he thinking!? He vowed not to think of such things anymore!

"Would you go with me?"

"Okay."

Alyssa smiled then hugged Cyril, before walking away, making sure to sway her hips as she did so. Cyril could only blink as he watched her leave, knowing full well that she knew that he was staring. As she disappeared to the corner, he came to his senses and realized something. That was uncharacteristically like her. Was she flirting with him? That was definitely a come on earlier. Ever since they had arrived here, it had been—for a better choice of wording—awkward between them. Sharing the bed with each other reminded them of how it was like before. Especially when they woke up in each other's arms; but Cyril, true to his word, wasn't going to let this happen again. He had already caused damage before. This time, he was just going to play it cool, and let things happen. He was going to stay friends with Alyssa and let her do the moves to him. True, his feelings for the blue dragoness had returned over time, but he wasn't going to let that rule him. He was going to make her decide. He wasn't going to do anything.

Just then, the sound of someone approaching derailed his train of thought.

"You were looking for us?" Spyro asked, looking at Cyril.

It took a moment for Cyril to gather his thoughts and remember why they were here. "Hmm... Oh yes, I was."

"What is it, Cyril?" Cynder asked.

"I called to check up on you two; specifically to you Spyro."

Cynder glanced at Spyro, who seated himself next to Cyril. "What is it, Cyril?"

"It's about Crombe."

Cynder followed suit and quietly sat next to Spyro. "What about him?"

"Listen, I know it's been rough lately with him, especially with the recent incident. But I ask of you, don't do anything drastic. Okay?"

Spyro nodded. He understood what Cyril meant. "I understand Cyril. I won't let my emotions get the best of me. But I will do what is right."

Cynder smiled. "You always do, Spyro."

0

Zaze walked up to Crombe, who was idly staring up at the sky. Zaze had braved himself to finally have a decent chat with Crombe. His last attempt wasn't a success, but that didn't stop him from trying. Sensing the electric dragon beside him, he let out a sigh of annoyance.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"I wanted to talk to you, Crombe."

He glanced at him. "I told you before. I'm not telling you again."

Zaze looked at him. He needed to take this slow.

"I just want to know."

"Know what?"

"Why do you hate her so much?"

Crombe sighed out of annoyance. He was getting tired of this electric dragon, being nosy. "She killed my parents. She took my life away. Do you know what that feels like?" he asked rhetorically. "Of course you don't. You know nothing."

Zaze nodded and looked ahead. "You're right. I don't. But I do know this. Many others are in the same situation as you are; maybe even worse. Heck, maybe I am one too. I don't know. I don't remember."

Crombe glanced at him. "You don't remember?"

"I have amnesia; much of my past is unknown to me. In a sense, I know what it's like to lose your life."

"Lucky you then; I would give anything to forget what had happened to me."

"Lucky me? I disagree," Zaze said, "You may not like remembering what Cynder did to your parents. But at least you had parents to remember. And I'm sure you have great memories of them. For all I know, I have a family who are worried sick about me. Or perhaps they think I'm dead. But the truth is I have no way of knowing. You may have that bad memory. But you also have good memories. I don't."

Crombe thought about that fact. It's true. He does have good memories of his parents. But if he was in Zaze's paws, he wouldn't remember what Cynder did to his life; he wouldn't remember his parents, the good or the bad; he wouldn't even have a reason to hate Cynder.

Crombe looked over to Zaze and noticed a glimmer in his eye; a tear, "It bothers you not knowing your past, doesn't it?"

"Of course not. I…" Zaze stopped in mid-sentence when he realized what he said contradicted his claim of acceptance. He fully accepted who he is now, but deep down he still wanted to know who he used to be. He wanted to know if his family was still looking for him…or if he even had a family. He had dismissed this at first. But as time went on, so did the feeling of homesickness begin to creep inside him.

"You don't even know what you want," Crombe said.

"But Crombe, I do know this: The main difference between you and the others who are probably in the same boat as you are is that they got over it. Sure, it's hard to accept the truth, but that's their nature. The truth hurts. You may have had a rough life, looking out for yourself and whatnot but I can tell you who had worse."

Crombe snorted. "Who?"

"Cynder." Crombe's brow rose, prompting Zaze to explain. "You may be feeling bad and want revenge for what happened to your parents. But did you ever stop to think what she felt. Waking up each and every day, remembering the things you've done. The dragons you've killed. And knowing full well that whatever you do, no matter how big it maybe, still can't bring them back. The fault's not even yours since you weren't in control. You were just a puppet. And not one moment, did she ever whine about it."

Crombe didn't much react and only looked at Zaze. For a moment, silence hung in the air, as Zaze's speech sank in.

"All I am just saying, Crombe, is that don't do this to yourself. The only one getting hurt is you. Just because I talk to you, doesn't mean we're friends, Crombe. When push comes to shove, I will protect my friends. Even if it means I have to put you down."

Crombe's expression remained of neutral. "Is that a threat?"

"It doesn't have to be. We're all good guys here. We're not going to hurt you. You just have to trust us."

"Trust?" he asked. "You make it sound like it's easy."

"She's willing to trust you. Trust someone that at any point in time could kill her. Honestly Crombe, if your parents were alive, do you think they'd be happy that they're son is willing to kill for them?"

Crombe looked down at the ground, avoiding Zaze's piercing gaze. He just wanted to think at the moment. Be alone. Zaze realizing he got his point across decided to let the earth dragon be. Crombe stood there, alone with his thoughts at a secluded area of the campsite. He sat at one of the rocks that were covered in moss and just sighed. The comment Zaze made had struck a chord in him. It made him stop and look at what he had been doing from a different angle. No. His parents wouldn't be happy with what he was doing. His parents always taught him to always do the right thing; no matter what it is. Crombe sighed again. At that moment, he understood why; why he couldn't kill Cynder. Why when given the chance, to suddenly falter. He knew full well what he was doing. It was just so much easier to lie to yourself than to face reality.

He wanted justice. He wanted someone to pay. He wanted someone to blame. A tear appeared at the corner of his eye as he relished the memories of his parents. That's all he could do now. Two conflicting ideas began to form in Crombe's head. He remembered the question the mysterious dragon had asked him the other day.

"Catch? It depends. How much are you willing to sacrifice in order for you to get the revenge you so wanted?"

Revenge. Was that really the right thing? Crombe didn't understand what he wanted anymore. He had two conflicting ideas that tore him at his core. On one hand, he could accept the offer and exact the revenge he so wanted. On the other, he could forgive and move on. But one key thing echoed in his mind as he thought hard.

"Honestly Crombe, if your parents were alive, do you think they'd be happy that they're son is willing to kill for them?"

To be a monster. To become just the dragon he wanted to end; ironic.

Crombe could feel a decision welling up inside him. It ate his pride and tore it to pieces. However, due to his sheer concentration, he had failed to notice something. It was as if fate didn't want him choosing the wrong choice. It was over the moment he even realized it.

Hiss. Bite. Scream.

He toppled over as his right leg ached. His muscles burned, as if it were being burned alive. His eyes blurred, and he could feel a stabbing pain crawling inside him, leading all the way up to his heart. The last thing he could see, before he lost consciousness, was a snake slithering by him.

0

Zaze walked back to camp, his head buzzing with activity. His recent talk with Crombe went better than he expected. But it seemed it had garnered questions he didn't expect. Most questions directed to him.

"Hey, Zaze," a voice asked.

He looked up. It was Sparx. "Hey, Sparx."

"What's up?"

He sighed. "Do you think I have a family?"

Sparx gave him a look. "Where did that come from?"

"Well…I…I just started giving it a thought I guess."

"I thought you didn't care about your past?"

0 = 0 = 0

"So you don't know who you are, aside from your name?" he asked.

"Yup; I have a clean slate."

Sparx raised a brow. "You seem awfully happy about it."

"It's not that I'm happy about it. It's just that, since I don't remember, I don't exactly know what I should be sad about."

"Good point."

0 = 0 = 0

"It's not that I didn't care," Zaze replied, remembering what he said.

"You sounded like it though; on numerous occasions too."

Zaze looked at him. "My point is, I feel like I should know. Now, I feel like I want closure. Talking to Crombe earlier…it made me think…what if I DID have a family, Sparx? What if they're out there looking for me? What if they think I am dead? What do I do…?"

Sparx sighed. "I don't know, Zaze. I'm not saying your parents are dead or anything, but if they're out there, I'm pretty sure they'll be heading over to Warfang."

"I guess."

"Try not to think about it too much. I know it's important, but…you know."

Zaze nodded. "In any case, Zaze, I'll be going. Manuel and the others said they had something planned to do. You want to come?"

"No. I think I'll stay here for a while."

And with that, the dragonfly took off. Zaze sighed and sat at a rock for a cool minute. He wondered quietly what he should do in the meantime. That was all removed when scream broke through the silence.

"AHHH!"

That sounded like Cynder.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

First and foremost I would like to use this moment to address questions and reviews that have been posted to my story:

Unit Omicron - I would just like to say, thank you. Having my story mentioned in the same sentence as AoH and saying that it can compete with it, makes me feel accomplished; finally, all that hard work has paid off. And of course, this story wouldn't be as great as it is, without my best friend and co-writer, Alec. Zaze, admittedly, wasn't FULLY based on my personality, but he does share some traits me, as all my characters do. As for your problem with my imagery, I have noticed that and has been pointed out to me by my friends, most notably Strigon, also my beta. I do admit that you won't notice the changes yet anytime soon, since these chapters have been pre-written before hand, in order to keep up with my deadline. But rest assured, I will try to be more descriptive, in the future chapters to come.

Once again, thank you. It's reviews like yours that really drive me to keep on writing and sharing my stories.

Rubyyoshi - Awkward situations; what a great plot device. As for your comment, YES. I will admit that the plot is slowing down, I personally don't want it to be, but it has to be. If I didn't put these filler like arcs, the story would have ended by Chapter 10 already. Besides, these fillers serve as opportunities for me to develop the characters, notably called Social Arcs. But do not fret, the story is there, working in the background. Trust me when I say, when the plot starts moving YOU WILL notice it. Big events will happen, and questions about Zaze will be answered. All in the coming chapters.

And the question on everyone's mind: "Is Zaze gay or straight?"

Seriously guys, do I have to answer that question? It's so obvious!

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	17. Chapter 17 Resolution

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 17

Resolution

"You're not thinking of talking to Crombe, are you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know, it was just a guess."

"Cynder…"

"I know, Spyro, it's just…I don't want a fight started because of me."

The purple dragons sighed. "I understand what you're trying to say, Cynder. And don't worry. I won't. I planned on actually just leaving Crombe alone for a while. I think… he needs time to cool off."

Cynder cocked her head. "You think so?"

"Yes. Now can we not talk about Crombe for a while?"

Cynder nodded. "You're right. A little space is probably all he needs."

Spyro walked ahead of her and turned his head.

"So…what do you want to do?"

"I don't know, Spyro. Today's a free day for us. I was thinking of actually just resting for a while."

"Really?"

"Really. I'm still tired from practicing swimming earlier."

Spyro raised his brow. "You know, Cynder, I don't understand. The way you swam earlier made you look like a natural swimmer."

"Water just makes me feel nervous, Spyro."

"Then why was it, you didn't seem fazed when we were at the dam back then?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Spyro nodded. He was curious to hear the reason behind it.

"Well, Spyro…" Cynder sighed. It was all going to sound mushy. "Because I had you with me."

"Me?"

"I always felt secured when I was around you. And still do. When you with me, I feel like I could do anything. That's the main reason as to how I managed to overcome my fear temporarily. And plus the fact that I assumed you knew how to swim, which I was right, so if I was going to drown at some point, I knew you'd saved me. We were also kind of chained too, so that helped."

Spyro smiled warmly at her. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Cynder said. "I'm lucky to have you."

Spyro looked at her, then proceeded to give her a loving nuzzle. "So you still want to rest for a while?"

"Yes. I actually planned on taking a nap."

"Well, I'll see you later then."

And with that, Spyro gave her a light peck at the cheek, and took off. He was planning on catching up with his brother; see what the dragonfly was up to.

0

Cynder walked down the path, heading back to their campsite. She was feeling rather groggy, and admittedly feeling something else completely. She didn't understand it. Whenever she was near Spyro, she felt somehow hotter than normal. It was also accompanied with the sensation that she wanted to stay closer to him than normal. They were a couple, yes, but the feeling she got was like an itch that her brain told her that only Spyro could relieve. It was the main reason as to why she pounced on him earlier, back at the river. She lost control on herself, and somehow charged at Spyro. It was as if her body was moving on its own. Somehow, her brain told her that she should know what was going on, but had just forgotten. She made a mental note to ask Alyssa about this later. She was a dragoness as well after all. Maybe she knew what was up.

But as she headed back down, something caught her attention at the corner of her eye. She turned her head, and saw a dragon sitting on a rock. At first glance, she knew immediately who it was.

It was Crombe.

Maybe he was thinking to himself, seeing as how he sat there, rigid. She was about to move on when Crombe suddenly did something she didn't expect. All of a sudden, he toppled over—almost comically—to the side of the rock, and remained unmoving.

"What the heck?" Cynder smiled, seeing that was uncharacteristic of Crombe.

Then her ears picked up a sound. Her head snapped to the direction it came from, just in time as something lunged at her. She dodged just in the nick of time, and caught a glimpse of what attacked her. It was a snake. After hissing at her one last time, it slithered away, disappearing under the thick bushes of the forest.

"What in the world?" She turned her head and saw that Crombe still laid still. Something in her head clicked. The snake; Crombe.

"Oh no."

She bolted, flying pass the bushes and into the clearing Crombe with in.

"Crombe!" she shouted. He lay still, unresponsive. She decided to shake him, and see if he was asleep for some reason. All she got however was just a measly groan. It sounded like he was in pain. As she shook him, something oozed down Cynder's paw.

"AHHHH!"

She screamed. It was blood. It came from two holes that were red and swollen at the base of his right leg. The snake must have bitten him. And from the looks of it, he was poisoned as well. Green venom oozed out, sticking out like a sore thumb from the red blood it was mixed in. At that moment, Crombe flinched, and Cynder checked his pulse. It was beginning to slow. She needed to make a decision, and fast!

Saving a life was a lot better than letting someone die.

0

Crombe felt light headed. His body and his mind felt numbed. But somehow, the pain that ached at his right leg was beginning to subside. He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But one thing was for sure, he was feeling better. Whoever it was that had shaken him must have gotten him an antidote. Surely that snake that had slithered by was poisonous, and he was bitten. He made a mental note to thank his saviour. He had come to a decision and he wasn't going to die not fulfilling it. He wasn't one for leaving things unfinished.

He opened his eyes, and waited for it to focus.

The image was blurry at first but the first thing that popped into his eyesight was none other than Alyssa, the healer.

"He's awake!" she called out. Then she turned her head to him, "Can you hear me, Crombe?"

It was a faint echo, in his ears but it was still audible. He nodded slightly.

"Don't try to sit up yet, okay?" She then moved to the side, and other dragons came into view. It was mixture of different colours. But he knew who they were.

"Dang, Crombe. If you only know how lucky you are," said the electric dragon. Crombe tried to sit up but flinched as pain shot from his right leg. Alyssa turned around and immediately set him back down.

"What did I just say?" Crombe huffed. He didn't like being reprimanded.

"You two watch over him okay? I'll just go and inform the others he's awake." Zaze and Cynder nodded and Alyssa left. As soon as the dragoness was out of earshot, Cynder talked to Crombe.

"Crombe, listen to Alyssa okay? It's for your own good. Do you even remember what happened?" Cynder asked.

He looked at her. "I was bitten by a snake, right?"

"Not just any ordinary snake, dude. You were bitten by one of the most poisonous snakes that roam Avalar Valley; the only one that can be fatal to a dragon," answered Zaze, relaying what he had learn from being debriefed by Alyssa earlier.

Crombe raised a brow. "Who saved me?"

Zaze glanced at Cynder. "Technically, we both did. But without her efforts in trying to suck out the poison from that swollen leg of yours, you'd be dead."

Crombe huffed. Great; now he owed his life to none other than Cynder. "What's the matter?" Zaze asked. "It seems like you're not even happy that you're alive."

"How can I live knowing that I was saved by none other than her?" he said, venom as always in his tone of voice. "Why did you even save me? Knowing full well that I want to kill you."

Zaze was about to answer, when Cynder cut her off. "Because we're not like you, Crombe; we live in the present. Unlike you, we're willing to forgive and to trust dragons. I understand that you're angry with me and with good reason. I know what I did before, all the trouble I cost and the lives I've killed. I can never undo them. All I can do now is to live with the consequences and my conscience bearing down on me. However, I will not let a grudge be the reason for your death. You were a dragon in need. I already have caused a lot of deaths before; I will not let someone die where I stood idly by. Whether you like it or not Crombe, I would have saved you, even if you hadn't saved me back then at the river. Why? Because I'm willing to trust you. Why can't you trust me?"

The question hung in the air like a blanket. Crombe looked down the ground, not wanting to see Cynder look at him. Zaze on the other hand excused himself, seeing as he was not needed there anymore.

Then, Cynder saw something she hadn't seen in a long time before.

"Are you crying?"

True enough, there were tears in Crombe's eyes. They sparkled as they rolled down his cheeks and into the floor.

"Why are you crying?" Cynder asked.

"I'm pathetic. I can't even kill the dragoness that destroyed my life. And look at me now, saved by none other than her."

Cynder looked at him. "Why are you doing this Crombe?"

Crombe cracked. It was just so much easier to lie to yourself. But he couldn't do it anymore.

"I-I…I just wanted someone to blame. I needed someone to blame. They didn't have to die…"

"I'm sorry, Crombe. I was under the control of Malefor at the time. I had no control over my actions. I can't bring your parents back. But what you can do on the other hand is live your life. Don't waste your time moping and plotting revenge. Live the life your parents sacrificed themselves for. You will honour them better that way."

"Malefor's dead…isn't he?"

Cynder smiled. "Yes, Crombe; we defeated him. I'm sorry for taking your chance in revenge. I was first in line."

Crombe smiled. For the first time, he felt free from the burden he had put upon himself. He proceeded to pull Cynder into a hug. "Thank you."

Cynder on the other hand, albeit surprised, returned the hug. "You're welcome."

0

"I think things are going to be okay now," Zaze said as he sat next to Spyro.

"So Cynder is talking to him?" The purple dragon asked.

"Yeah, and judging from the fact that Crombe isn't shouting, I think things are going to be okay."

Spyro smiled wryly. "I'm just glad he's okay and is smoothing things out with Cynder. I don't want to hurt the poor confused guy."

"You and me both."

"So where's your brother?"

"He's with Flame and Ember. The three of them are with Alyssa at the moment. They're writing the daily report they'll send to Terrador. Did you know he's keeping tabs on us?"

"No, but I'm not surprised," replied Zaze.

Meanwhile, at the far edge of the camp clearing, two dragons were secretly surveying the situation. The dragons watched as Zaze and Spyro chatted with each other, outside the Guardian's tent. They were perfectly camouflaged, blending in perfectly with the shadows that were cast by the trees. Other campers that passed by, talking about the recent poisoning on Crombe, barely noticed them.

"What shall we do?" one of the dragons asked. "It seems your plan has failed."

"It doesn't matter," replied one of the dragons. He stood up and looked at his companion. "Crombe was just a spur of the moment idea. We shall proceed normally."

"So the plan of siege is still in motion?"

"Yes…it is. Do play your part well."

"As long as you keep your end of the bargain."

Just then, the two dragons ducked behind cover as Zaze glanced at their direction.

"What is it?" Spyro asked.

"I thought I…never mind," Zaze replied.

The two dragons eased themselves back in, once Zaze was no longer looking.

"He sensed us? How was that even possible?"

"It's natural…we are one after all…"

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	18. Chapter 18 Packing Up

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 18

Packing Up

The ice dragon sighed as he looked up the lazy clouds that hung at atop the sky. The dragoness beside him rolled over, a curious look in her eyes.

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking…"

She sat upright and looked down on him. "Thinking about what?"

"Just life in general," replied the dragon.

The dragoness on the other hand had other things in mind. And she decided to voice it. "Hey Manuel?"

"Yeah…?"

"Are you going to the…um…Acquaintance Gala?"

"The Gala? Hmm…" The dragon looked a bit indecisive. "I don't know. How about you Draiana? Are you going?"

The dragoness averted her gaze and looked back to the horizon. The sun was now setting, signalling the end of the day. She then answered, "I'm not sure myself. It's mainly because I have no one to go with."

Manuel chuckled. "Welcome to the club."

The dragoness looked back at him. "What?"

"I mean, I don't have anyone to go with too," he clarified. "Amongst my group of friends, apparently I'm the only one unlucky enough to not be blessed with a lady friend."

Draiana cocked her head to the side. "Why do you think that?"

Manuel smirked at her and sat up. "I guess I don't have the charm." Draiana giggled which Manuel smiled at. At least he had jokes. "But seriously though, I'm not exactly the party dragon. Zaze already has that rank."

The dragoness raised a brow. "I thought he didn't like parties."

"He says that, but I think otherwise."

Just then, the sound of someone walking up behind them caught their attention. The two looked up and found the dragoness named Celsius.

"Hey Celsius," Draiana greeted.

"Hello. Have you two seen the others?" she asked.

"I think…they're with Alyssa."

She nodded. "Thanks."

As the dragoness walked off, Draiana turned to Manuel.

"So Manuel…"

"Yeah?"

"Since we both don't have anyone to go with…are you interested in going with me?"

0

"Hey Alyssa?"

"Yes, Ember, what is it?"

"Do you write these daily reports, everyday?" she asked curiously.

The dragoness chuckled. "They're called daily reports for a reason."

"Oh," Ember replied, realizing her question was somehow redundant.

"And Terrador reads this stuff?" Flame asked.

"Yes he does," she replied finishing up.

Sparx on the other hand crossed his arms. "I wonder what his reaction to all of this…"

"Don't worry, you'll hear from him soon enough."

"Oh that's right…" Ember said. "The camping is nearly ending right?"

Alyssa nodded. "Yes. Tomorrow will be the final day we have. And we have one final activity too."

"And that's…?" Flame asked.

Alyssa smirked. "A secret."

Flame frowned. "Oh come on!"

"You'll find out soon enough," replied Alyssa.

"Well okay…it's getting late anyway," Flame replied.

"Go to your tent, get some sleep."

"We understand," the two dragons replied.

"You too, Sparx."

"Yes ma'am."

0

Day broke.

The sun was slowly creeping up the forest line and was reaching for the sky. Bringing along with it was its warm ray of sunlight that seeped through the quiet campgrounds that were located at a clearing in the forest. Snores and the sound of running water was the only thing audible, as the forest slowly woke up from its stupor. At one of the nearby tents, a dragon slowly woke up. The ache in his right leg was still there, but he was glad to see that the swelling had gone down. It was considerably smaller now. Crombe stood up on shaky legs. He walked with a limp as he headed to the river to wash up. The incident from yesterday was still fresh from his mind, but now, he felt a sense of relief in his chest.

He had managed to forgive. Forgive Cynder what she had done. It was hard for him at first, but he had managed to do it. And now, the burden that he seemed to have been carrying on himself had been lifted. He felt like a new dragon, albeit with a swollen right leg to boot. He wondered what their last activity was. Today was their final and last day here at camp. He only hoped that it wasn't as physically tedious as the one before. He couldn't exactly bring his 'A' game because of his leg.

0

"The final activity…was cleaning up…"

Flame sighed dejectedly as he carefully broke the pitched tent they had. Draiana, who was beside him, patted him on the back.

"Cheer up, Flame. It could have been worse."

All around them, the sounds of tents being fixed were heard as the dragons slowly broke their campsite apart. The materials were then gathered at the center, where Chief Prowlus and a fellow cheetah stood by him.

"It could have been a race for all you know," she replied.  
Flame snorted. "That would have been better. But I feel like someone was too lazy enough to do it."

"Ow!"

The two dragons turned their head and saw an ice dragon nursing his head. A fire dragon stood by and checked on him, "You okay, Zayril?"

"Yeah I'm okay, Alec. Thanks for worrying." The two dragons then continued on with moving their tent equipment to the center.

After watching the scene before them, Draiana turned her head to Flame. "Like I said, it could have been worse."

"I guess you have a point. This was just a test exercise after all." Flame grabbed the piece of fabric and began to walk to the center. Draiana followed after him carrying the remainder of the items. "I guess they had second thoughts given the things that happened."

The two dragons then proceeded to place the items they had been carrying to the center, in a pile of arranged items where Chief Prowlus began to check them over.

"Okay. That's another one to mark of the list, Koren."

"Got it," the cheetah replied doing so.

"Hey you guys!" A voice called out.

Flame and Draiana turned their heads and saw Zaze and Latis walking up to them.

"You guys done yet?" Latis asked.

Draiana smiled. "We just finished."

"And I am assuming you guys too?"  
"We just finished too. Since we're not doing anything, let's stay over there for a while."

Zaze then leaded the group under a base of a tree where the shade covered them all completely. Zaze rested his back at the trunk of the tree and looked at the campsite being slowly destroyed. Latis seated herself next to him, but leaving some decent space in between them. Flame on the other hand climbed atop one of the thick branches and basically lied on top of it.

"Are you sure you should be doing that Flame?" Draiana asked, looking at the branches wobbling under Flame's weight.

"I'm not as heavy as Spyro," he replied jokingly.

"I heard that."

The dragons turned their head and saw that they were being joined by Spyro, Ember and Sparx.

"The truth hurts, Spyro," Sparx teased.

"Give it a rest Sparx."

"Not until you realize that you need to get fitter."

"If he gets any fitter, he'd probably be a dragoness," Flame replied.

"Not you too, Flame! I thought you were on my side!"

Everyone laughed at Spyro's dilemma.

0

"So I guess that's everything?" Cyril asked.

"Yes, everything has been accounted for," Chief Prowlus answered.

"Once again, we can't thank you enough, Chief Prowlus for your cooperation in all of this," Alyssa replied.

"It's okay. You say too much." The cheetah smiled. "Just feel free to inform me, if you are to do something like this again. This was a test after all right?"

"It is," Cyril answered.

"Was it successful?"

Cyril looked at Alyssa. Then the two glanced in sync to a pair of dragons behind them. It was Cynder and Crombe. The two were chatting idly.

Cyril smiled. "Yes. It was."

"I am glad. I bid you all farewell."

"Goodbye. And take care," Alyssa replied.

The head cheetah nodded. "Come on Koren, let's go."

And with that, the two cheetahs took off, disappearing into the trees.

"I guess that's our cue?" Cyril asked.

"Yes, it is."

0

The flight back home was rather uneventful. The dragon group didn't have to put much effort into flying, seeing as they glided on the currents that flew into Warfang. Plus, they also got a great view of the scenery as they headed back. Before long, the dragon city came into view, and after that, the Dragon Temple itself. They landed, and everyone dispersed into their own groups. However, they immediately noticed that something was amiss.

"Is there a party or something?" Zaze asked.

Everywhere he looked, decorations seem to have been placed. Flowers of different colours and sizes were placed in strategic places, giving the place a rather…romantic look. The moles were even hard at work installing what seemed to be like…incense at the area. What was the incense for?

Latis chuckled. "Zaze, don't you remember? The Acquaintance Gala is just in a day or so."

Zaze nodded. "Oh…right, right."

"So…are you going?"

The dragon scratched his chin. "If I remember correctly, it's for us to be acquainted with one another, right?" Latis nodded.

"I'm not sure, Latis."

At the answer, Zaze noticed that Latis seemed rather down by it. It seemed like she was actually excited in going. He bit his lip. He wasn't one for parties, and ever will. But he didn't like seeing his friends to be down. And he kind of got the gist why she brought this up.

"Are you going, Latis?" he asked her.

"I was thinking about it…"

"But?"

"I have no one to go with…" she answered, looking at him. "It is a party after all."

Zaze smiled. "Would you like to go with me?"

She immediately perked up, but raised a brow. "But I thought you weren't going?"

"Forget what I said. So, would you like to go with me?"

Latis smiled.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

First and foremost I would like to use this moment to address a review that has been posted to my story:

HKGhost - Your review struck me the most, cause you have a good point. Why DID I do what I did with Crombe? I can explain. Crombe turning into an enemy would have been, admittedly predictable if I decided to go down that path. Yes, all roads seemed to point to that direction, given how things were turning out. Yet, I didn't go with it. Why? Because it would have been predictable. It wouldn't be fun for the readers if they knew what was going to happen. I mean, if Crombe were to become an enemy, then it would have fallen into this storyline where the gang would try to bring Crombe back, but he would refuse and attack them. Give or take a few scences and inevitably Crombe falls, either dead or alive.

I admit, that storyline is good and would make good story material. But I try my best to avoid cliches as much as possible. And besides, by avoiding that, you guys are left to guess again what's going to happen to Crombe, given that his personality is the complete polar opposite of Zaze.

As for you other readers, feel free to leave questions in your reviews and we will try to answer them. Either by Alec replying to your review, or me (Viperwatcher) answering them personally once a week.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	19. Chapter 19 Preparations

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 19

Preparations

"So, I assume that everything is going according to plan?"

The Ice Guardian asked as he entered the room. His fellow dragon, Terrador, glanced at him as he made his way to the side and seated himself on his respective coloured cushion. The Earth Guardian stopped what he was doing, and turned to look at Cyril.

"You look a lot better," said Terrador.

"I've been through worse."

Terrador nodded. "Yes. Two accidents aren't all that hard to deal with. I do hope everything is now sorted out between Crombe and Cynder?"

"Don't worry, Terrador. It seems everything is falling back into place."

Terrador turned around again, and resumed what he was doing. He was writing on a piece of parchment. "That's good to hear. As for your question, yes, everything is in order. The moles have managed to set up the incense at the right places, one for each room."

Cyril took a quick glance and sure enough, the said incense was placed at the corner.

"The more potent herbs," Terrador continued, "have also been prepared for ingestion and at the same time medication. And also since the moles have finished on renovations, the proper room assignments have now been applied to every student in the Temple. They'll no longer have problems in terms of privacy, especially now that they need it the most."

Cyril smirked. "Wow, you guys have been awfully busy."

"Yes. You do understand how important the coming week is?"

Cyril snorted and rested his head on the cushion. "Yes, I do. It is an important dragon tradition."

"…One that I will not be celebrating."

Cyril's brow rose. Did he hear him right?

"Terrador, do you know what you're saying?" he asked, sitting up.

Terrador didn't even stop writing as he answered, "Yes I do."

Cyril tried to comprehend his fellow Guardian's words. It didn't add up. "I know that, out of all four of us, you had the greatest of control. But Terrador, this is something natural. This is something you can't just bypass. For all honesty, it's been three years since any of the four of us—well three now—has had a female."

Terrador smirked. "I thought you were going to chastise yourself, yet you speak as though you were going to participate."

"I will, to the best of my ability. But that doesn't mean you should."

Terrador sighed and stood up. He didn't like dragons prying into his personal life as much. It wasn't something he liked to think or talk about. And the path Cyril took was surely going to go there.

"I mean no disrespect, Cyril," he said, looking at him. "But my decisions are my own, and I hope you understand that."

Cyril looked back at him seeing the cold, stone expression Terrador wore. It reminded him of the past conversation they had before.

0 = 0 = 0

Terrador shook his head. "I was never one for jokes."

"Fine then, I'll do it. I'll suffer the embarrassment and awkwardness for your sake. But at least tell me this. Do you ever smile?"

The Earth Guardian's brow rose. "Huh? You mean like this?" He smiled.

Cyril shook his head. "No, I mean, truly smile. Are you ever happy?"

Terrador let the question hang in the air for a moment.

"'Happy'…one of the few words I rarely use to describe what I feel."

And with that, the Earth Guardian turned around and headed outside, leaving Cyril to contemplate.

0 = 0 = 0

Out of all four of them, Terrador was always the least talkative. He would rather sit there and listen, than talk his heart out, unlike Volteer. It was the main reason why he was the most mysterious out of all of the Guardians. He never talked about himself. He always kept to one corner, either thinking deeply, or busying himself by reading a book he got from the library. He was never one for idle chatter. His personality fitted the element he was a master of: hard and neutral, like earth.

"I apologize," Cyril said, "I stepped out of line."

"Apology accepted. Regardless, I do hope you don't make much of a mess."

Cyril looked at Terrador who smirked at him. The closest he'd ever seen the dragon ever make a genuine expression.

"Are you insinuating that I will go against my vow of chastity?"

Terrador snorted. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Just don't do it here, Cyril." The Earth Guardian then grinned. "Like you said, this is something natural. This is something you can't just bypass. I'm willing to bet this vow of yours won't last."

Cyril bit his lip. He walked right into that one. He felt his whole stance fall apart. Here he was, saying that he was going to chastise himself for his past actions, regarding dragoness, yet he preaches that mating is something natural and cannot be bypassed. He felt like a hypocrite. Maybe he SHOULD change it to just being faithful, much like how Zaze advised it. It was easier for him, and for his libido.

Seeing his fellow Guardian's face made Terrador smile. "And yet dragons say I don't joke."

"FINE!" Cyril huffed. "You win this time. Wipe that smile of your face. Maybe I will do it on your cushions just to spite you."

This caught Terrador's attention. The smile went away, and back to the familiar neutral expression he usually wore.

"I swear, if my cushions smell like male musk I will hit you so hard, you won't even know what hit you."

Cyril smiled wryly. This was definitely going to be an interesting week.

0

"So, wait, I'm moving now?" Zaze asked, as he and the Earth Guardian walked down the halls of the Temple.

"Yes, young dragon."

"Why? I mean, the whole roommate thing was fun."

Terrador nodded. "I understand where you're coming from Zaze, but admittedly, that was only a temporary thing."

The electric dragon cocked his head. "Temporary?"

"Yes," Terrador explained. "At the time, we had limited bedrooms in the Temple, since the moles weren't done renovating. But now the construction is finished, thus the main reason you're moving. This also applies to everyone else because having roommates would produce problems in the coming days."

Zaze glanced up at the dragon. "What kind of problems?"

"Lots of unneeded problems that could have been easily averted if each dragon had their own room," Terrador explained. Judging from Terrador's tone, it seemed that Terrador didn't want to talk about the 'problems' whatever they were. Zaze decided to drop the subject and focus on what was to come: His new room.

"I can see that look in your face, Zaze," Terrador said, breaking his train of thought. "Do not fret. Your room is as good as any other room here in the Temple. It's adequate enough for any dragon of your age. You're also going to want the privacy, regardless."

The two rounded around the corner and soon enough stopped in front of one of the many doors located down that hall. With a gentle push Terrador entered the room, and let Zaze in afterwards. The electric dragon surveyed his new surroundings. It reminded him of his old room before, albeit with a few changes. The bed that consisted of coincidentally color coded cushions in sync to him was at the side, piled and looked rather comforting. There was a wooden desk at the corner paired with a small chair. Next to it was a small vase that looked empty. Blue curtains hung atop the open windows that flowed as a cool breeze blew in to the room.

"It's not much," Terrador began, "but I do hope it's to your liking."

"Like it?" Zaze looked at him. "I love it. It reminds me of my old room; a little."

"At least it's not wet, right?"

Zaze smiled. At least it wasn't.

0

Sunlight crept on the electric dragon's face, causing him to stir awake. Zaze groaned as he shifted to the side clearly relishing the comfort of the cushions underneath him. However, the rays of the sun didn't stop and before long it was lighting up his back. A pair of yellow orbs lazily looked around as the dragon came to. Zaze scratched his face as his eyes adjusted to the light that was flooding his surroundings. Sitting up, he stretched like a cat; his joints popping back into place.

"Uh…my back…my poor back…"

It was reminiscent of the first night he had here. However, there was something different.

"…What's that smell?" He sniffed the air, catching a whiff of the weird and unusual smell that clung into the air. It wasn't bad, just…very odd. It was like a perfume that you'd normally not wear, but is still viable as an option if you had no other choice. He sat up, stretching his neck a little, before following his sense of smell. It led him towards the desk at the corner. The smell seemed to have been coming from the vase that was right next to it. He glanced down, and sure enough confirmed it. There were some herbs slowly burning away, producing the odd aroma. Being closer to the source, Zaze inhaled more of it and made him feel weird. It gave him a sense of elation; making him think of the brighter side of life, and making him forget that his stomach was growling at him because it was hungry.

Zaze shook himself and coughed. The smell was interfering with his thoughts. Maybe this wasn't a good thing. He made a mental note to ask the Guardians what were those herbs were for as he went outside. Being in the hallway, the odd smell was less, but still was in the air. Zaze noted how there were similar vases scattered throughout the area, producing more of the smell, but didn't concentrate since it was more open. He also noticed that he was alone. He was walking for a few minutes now, headed to the Dining Hall, but saw no one in particular. Taking a wild guess, he walked towards the nearest window and glanced up. The sun was somewhat nearing its mid arc, signalling it was nearing noon. One thing registered into Zaze's mind.

"I OVERSLEPT!"

Forgetting his stomach, he immediately bolted and headed to his next class. Zaze ran like the wind, whipping around the corner and rushing down the halls. He grumbled, verbally scolding himself for his stupidity as his legs carried to him destination. Skidding to a halt, he composed his appearance, before opening the door.

"I AM SO SORRY I AM—"

Zaze stopped midsentence.

"—late…?"

No one was there. Zaze did a double take. No one was in the room. Not a living soul. Nothing was written on the board, and there was clearly no sign that someone was there before him. It told him one thing. Where on earth was everybody else?

0

Cold piercing eyes looked down below the crowd of dragons. The earth dragon stood prominently atop the balcony, looking down the busy, chatty dragons that were below him. Some were in groups, whilst others took off in pairs, flying into the city. His eyes went from left to right, as he scanned the crowd for no one in particular. He saw Spyro, the purple dragon, standing close to Cynder, the two rubbing noses with one other, to which his brother, Sparx, scolded him for being so mushy. At the other side, he saw Flame and Ember, chatting happily, tails entwined. At the far corner, was the ever so quiet Crombe. He just eyed the group of mingling dragons, keeping to himself, ignoring the group of dragoness that were eyeing him back. Lastly, he caught a glance of Celsius and Draiana, the latter feeling rather uncomfortable as the former guided her to a group of dragons who were also there.

The whole scene in front resonated with Terrador. It reminded him of his school life. A part of his life, he wasn't proud of; because these memories weren't happy ones. His life flashed right before his eyes. The first image was of two dragons kissing under a tree, while a young dragon stood in the rain in complete shock. It was then followed by a dragon standing alone near a small pond with tears rolling down his eyes.

His trip down memory lane stopped, however, as he heard someone approaching from behind.

"Terrador!" he called out. "Oh thank goodness I found someone!"

The Earth Guardian turned his head, and looked at him. He was somewhat rather glad that the electric dragon was there. He didn't like how his mind was replaying his life before him. He wanted someone, admittedly, to distract him from his memories.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	20. Chapter 20 Courtship Week

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 20

Courtship Week

"Yes, Zaze," he asked, turning to look at the dragon. "What is it?"

Zaze had a look of relief on his face. "I am so glad I found you!" Terrador raised a brow and let the dragon continue. "Where is everyone? I woke up and…"

Zaze stopped once he saw what Terrador was pointing at. The earth dragon had pointed to the crowd of dragons below him that were now beginning to disperse into smaller groups and flying off to different parts of the city. Zaze watched and saw his friends take off without him. Questions welled up inside him that he wanted answered.

"What's going on?" he asked.

The earth dragon turned around completely to face him. "Do you know what day it is today, Zaze?"

"Uh…" Zaze looked down the ground, avoiding Terrador's ever piercing gaze.

"Today," Terrador continued, noticing the dragon's discomfort, "is the start of Courtship Week."

Now there's an unfamiliar word. "Courtship Week? What's that?"

"It is the time of the year when dragons of age experience what is commonly called as 'Heat'," Terrador said, speaking as if he was reading from a textbook.

"Heat…" Zaze had heard that word before. He jogged his memory, and sure enough it came. He remembered Volteer telling him about it. "Wait…"

Terrador looked back at the view before him. Dragons of different colours and sizes, in groups and in pairs, took off to different parts of the city; no doubt on a date. "Yes Zaze, that kind of heat. And Courtship Week is the perfect time for you to act on your…urges…"

Zaze noted how Terrador rolled his tongue on the last word, emphasizing it. "I know that this is for good and all, but wouldn't you guys be dealing with…hatchlings here?"

Terrador smiled. "Always the thinker, aren't you?"

Zaze sheepishly smiled. "I can't help it."

"It's okay. And do not worry. It's already been taken care off. The food given out at the Dining Hall has been mixed with the strongest contraceptives there is that is readily available. Also, special herbs are being burned, giving off an aroma that dampens the effects of musk."

Zaze felt it all come together. "So that was what that weird smell was!"

"Yes. It's for everyone's own good. Musk is very powerful. Even us Guardians are subject to being in heat during Courtship Week and our musk is stronger, since we're adults. We need that to make things bearable for everyone."

Zaze nodded. That was understandable. "So wait, the Acquaintance Gala, is just to officially start off Courtship Week?"

"Yes Zaze, you are correct."

"So what are you doing here then?" The electric dragon smirked. "Shouldn't you be with your lady friends?"

Terrador snorted. "I could ask you the same thing."

"I don't have any lady friends."

The earth dragon cocked his head. "Oh really now? I thought you were with Latis."

"Latis?" Zaze shook his head. "We're just friends."

"Ah, friends…" said Terrador, more to himself than to Zaze. "In any case, I shall be off, Zaze. See you around."

Zaze watched as the earth dragon walk away. His gut feeling told him that something was up. Something was bothering Terrador. Or at least it looked like it. He made a mental note to ask him later.

"Hey dude!"

Zaze turned around and saw the ice dragon, Manuel approaching him. He had a look of sadness etched on his face that irked Zaze's curiosity.

"Hey Manuel?" The dragon stood next to him. "You okay?"

Manuel glanced at him then shook his head. He looked down the floor and replied, "No. I am not okay Zaze."

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Zaze asked.

Manuel looked back at him. "I need your advice."

"Advice? About what?"

"How do I get girls to like me?"

The question took a moment to process inside Zaze's head. Was he seriously asking that question?

"Yes, I am seriously asking this question," Manuel replied, noticing Zaze's puzzled look. "I mean it, Zaze. How do you do it?"

This confused Zaze even more. He raised a brow. "Do what?"

"Be friends with girls!" Zaze gave him another look, prompting him to elaborate. "I mean, how do you get close to them?"

Zaze cocked his head to the side. "Have you tried talking to them?"

"I have. It's just that…" Manuel's expression changed to gloomy. "Whenever I do, my throat goes dry and I clam up! I end up not talking at all! I've been meaning to ask someone to the Acquaintance Gala but at this rate I might not go at all."

Zaze nodded. This needed some fixing. He placed a gentle paw on Manuel's shoulder. "Look, just…" Zaze tried looking for the right words. Manuel on the other hand looked hopeful. "Just let it flow naturally. Let your actions be your words. Be nice to them. Be a good friend; like you are to me. Does that help?"

"Well, kind off I guess."

"Just don't be scared, Manuel. They're not going to eat you. There's no harm in trying right?"

The ice dragon nodded. "You're right. I just have to be confident."

"That's the spirit," Zaze said. "Just believe in yourself."

"Thanks, Zaze, you're the best."

"I try to be."

"See you around!"

And with that, Manuel left, along with many other dragons flying off to the city of Warfang, off on dates and looking for ones. The electric dragon on the other hand walked back into the Temple. His stomach ached, reminding him he hasn't eaten yet.

0

"Again, why is that I always find myself in these situations…" Zaze said to himself.

"It's like, whenever I am alone, something important or something relevant happens."

Just then, a loud sound echoed through the silent Temple halls.

"Like that!" Zaze said to no one in particular.

Immediately, he bolted into action. He ignored his aching stomach and ran to where the sound came from. Something was going down and he was going to find out. He skidded to a halt as he stopped in front of a slightly ajar door. He recognized it was the Training Dojo. Curiously, he peeked in to see what was going on. To his surprise, it was none other than a familiar ice dragoness.

It was Latis. And she was training.

He decided to just watch her and not interrupt, seeing as she seemed to be concentrating rather heavily. A dummy emerged from thin air to the side and charged at her. She whacked it with her tail and proceeded to barrage the other dummies with a torrent of ice. One by one they all disappeared. A couple more appeared and ran at her all at the same time. Quickly, she spun in place, summoning a wall of ice around her. Zaze felt the drop in temperature immediately. That ice wall must have been very thick. As she spun inside, icicles began to launch themselves seamlessly from the thick ice wall, impaling the rushing dummies. As the dummies disappeared one by one, the icicles melted onto the floor, creating puddles that joined together to make one wet floor. The ice wall broke apart, with Latis launching herself into the air. Zaze followed her with his eyes as she arranged herself for her landing. The remaining dummies that survived waited for their opponent to land on the floor to attack her. However, they never got the chance. As she landed on the floor, she summoned forth all her element. The wet puddle on the floor froze completely, and out from it, stalagmites came. And they all impaled the dummies that never saw it coming.

Zaze was speechless. When did Latis become so…powerful?

The ice dragoness panted, beads of sweat forming atop her brow as the stalagmites melted back onto the floor. She pulled it off. She actually managed to pull it off. She smiled to herself, feeling contented at her achievement. She decided to rest for a while, seeing as doing something like that takes a lot out of a dragon.

Zaze gasped as the ice dragoness suddenly collapsed onto the floor.

0

"Latis!"

Her head throbbed.

"LATIS!"

"Ugh…" She opened her eyes and the first thing that came into view as a dragon's head. It was of yellow color that only belonged to one dragon she knew.

"…Zaze?"

"Oh thank goodness!" Relief washed over the dragon's face. "I was so worried about you!"

She carefully sat up and looked at Zaze who was looking over her. "Are you okay? feeling fine? Do you need something?"

"Zaze."

But the dragon continued. "Just tell me what you need and I'll go get it."

"ZAZE," she repeated more forcefully. Zaze stopped.

"I'm okay," she said looking at him. "I'm fine."

The dragon smiled sheepishly. "I know…it's just…"

Latis raised her brow, sensing the drop in his tone. "Just what?" She looked at him. Zaze bit his lip. His face contorted into an expression. It was like he was trying to form words but nothing came up. In the end, he just bowed his head and looked at the floor.

Latis cocked her head to the side. "Come on, Zaze. You can tell me. What is it?"

Zaze looked back up at her. "Well…It's just…Latis…I…"

Latis looked at him patiently, waiting for his answer.

But it never came. Because all of a sudden, she was taken by surprise as Zaze suddenly leaned in and licked her cheek. She was left flabbergasted as she stared back at a blushing Zaze who was looking away from her.

"There!" he said. "That's why."

His heart beat frantically from the recent action he just did. His mind began to verbally abuse him, saying he was a maniac from doing such a thing. There was no going back now. This could end in two ways. Good and bad. He just risked his friendship with Latis from doing such a thing. And yet…it felt right. Actions speak louder than words. And no amount of words could ever sum up what he had to say from that simple lick. But it looked bleak. Latis was shocked and silent. A sign he didn't take well. I guess it was a gamble that didn't pay off.

"I-I shouldn't have done anything…" Zaze said. "I know you wouldn't fall for someone like me." Tears began to well up in his eyes as he continued his speech. He stifled the desire to sniffle, trying to regain his composure. "I'm not exactly the best dragon around. I'm not like Spyro who's strong and powerful. I'm not like Flame who's friendly and an all-around great guy to be with. I'm just…a stupid dragon who thought he had a chance to get someone like—"

He was cut off, as he felt a warm lick on his right cheek.

"—you." Latis smiled and he felt his heart melt.

"Zaze…you are who you are. Don't ever change that because that's what I like about you."

"You…do?" he asked.

Latis nuzzled his cheek. "Yes. I like you a lot Zaze."

The two looked at each other, eye to eye. They didn't even notice the distance shortening between their maws. Before they knew it, their maws touched and they kissed.

0

"AHH!"

Latis woke up; beads of sweat pouring down her face. Her heart was beating frantically like a drum. Her breathing was erratic as she came back into reality. What she had just witness was a dream.

"Ah, glad to see you're awake."

"Alyssa?" she asked.

"Yes, it's me," the dragoness replied. "Did you have a good dream?" She gave a sniff in the air. That familiar tangy scent was all too familiar. "I think someone had a…" her brow rose. "…naughty dream."

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	21. Chapter 21 Feelings

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 21

Feelings

Alyssa smirked. "So what was it about?"

Latis blushed, wanting to crawl down a hole and hide. She was trying to regain her composure but was failing badly at it.

"Oh, Latis, you are so prudish. Fine, I won't ask about it. Mind you, it's normal. It is courtship week." the healer replied dropping the subject completely.

"Anyways, I guess you're wondering why you're here?"

Latis nodded.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Latis thought to herself, trying to regain her previous memories. Then it came. She was training at the Dojo, rather fiercely.

"I was…training, at the Dojo."

"You were. Then?"

"I…passed out?"

Alyssa nodded. "You did. Do you who brought you here?"

Latis decided to take a wild guess. "Uh…you did?"

Alyssa chuckled. "Nice try, but no. It was Zaze."

"Zaze?"

Alyssa sat next to her. "Yes, it was that electric dragon."

"I see."

"Latis, I am very concerned for you."

The sudden change in tone caught Latis' attention. She turned to look at Alyssa who was looking at her rather seriously.

"What you did was very dangerous. I do hope you were well aware of the consequences of what were to happen?"

"I…I was."

"Why push yourself Latis?" Alyssa asked. "There's no need for this."

Latis looked down on herself. "I just don't want to be a hindrance anymore."

"Well, at least you succeeded. Zaze told me you managed to actually change ice to water, then back. That is no easy feat."

Latis smiled, feeling proud of herself. "Thank you."

Alyssa smiled. "No, you should be thanking yourself. I didn't do anything."

"I guess you're right."

"Speaking of which, you shouldn't worry as much of being a hindrance. Zaze seems capable enough to handle most things, alongside Spyro."

"Where exactly is Zaze?" Latis asked, looking for the electric dragon. Normally he'd be around.

"I asked—well no, forced really—for him to go the Dining Hall. His stomach had been growling throughout the entire time he was here waiting for you to recover. I had to get him out; because I was afraid he might wake you up. I told him you were fine, but he wouldn't budge. So I had to force him to get out."

"I see. That's just like him," Latis replied with a smile.

"You know, you're lucky Latis."

"About what?"

"You have someone looking after you. He's a keeper."

Latis shook her head. "We're not together."

0

"Ah…finally…that meal was great…"

Zaze walked down the halls of the Temple, feeling better than ever. His stomach was now full and his thirst was quenched. Right now though, he was heading back to the infirmary. He was getting concerned for Latis, albeit being told that she was fine. But as he walked back, he passed by the main entrance of the Temple, and saw Cyril, talking with someone.

"I am sorry," he replied.

"I understand. I'll come back another time," the dragon replied.

And with that, the dragon left.

"Who was that?" Zaze asked, out of curiosity.

"Oh, Zaze! That? I don't know," he replied.

"You didn't ask for his name?"

"She, actually; I felt like she was in a hurry, so introductions weren't done."

"What did she want?" Zaze asked, as he followed the dragoness slowly fly off the distance and into some part of Warfang.

Cyril turned to look at him. "She was looking for Terrador."

"Terrador? A dragoness?"

"Yes, I am surprised myself."

"Why? Is Terrador really not that with the ladies?"

"No…I…" The ice dragon thought for a moment. "I don't know."

"You don't know?"

Cyril sighed. "I don't really know. It's true that the four of us: Ignitus, me, Volteer and Terrador have been Guardians for a long time. And it's only natural for dragons to think that we know each other due to the time we've been together. But frankly, Terrador contradicts to that. Out of all four of us, Terrador is the least talkative. He rarely speaks, and when he does, it's usually matters regarding our responsibilities as Guardians; never about himself or anything about his past whatsoever."

"So, he's basically a stranger to you?"

"More or less; we don't know him on a personal level. And when you try to make him talk, he just diverts the topic and even sometimes, outright says that he doesn't want to talk about it. The phrase, 'strong but silent type' truly fits him."

Zaze nodded. "Speaking of which, where is he now?"

"He left."

"Do you know where?"

Cyril shook his head sadly. "No. Are you going to try and talk to him?"

Zaze blinked. "No. I was just curious."

"Well, regardless, don't. It's like talking to a brick wall. He said he'll be back later this evening for the Gala; which reminds me, I need to attend to that matter."

"Okay then, see you later." Cyril bid him farewell, before walking off. Zaze himself took off, wanting to check on Latis.

He rounded around the corner and soon saw the entrance to the Infirmary up ahead. With his keen sense of hearing, he overheard Latis talking with Alyssa, which made him feel happy seeing as Latis was now awake.

"You know, you're lucky Latis."

"About what?"

"You have someone looking after you. He's a keeper."

Latis shook her head. "We're not together."

"Latis!" Zaze called out.

Alyssa just smiled and excused herself as Zaze entered the fray.

Latis smiled. "Zaze."

"You're awake! So I assume you're feeling better now?"

Latis was about to reply when she suddenly had a flashback. Seeing Zaze reminded her of the 'dream' she had. How the kiss felt so real to her; this in turn triggered blood to rush to her face, making her feel warmer than usual. Zaze noticed her delay in response.

"Is everything okay? You look red."

"She's fine Zaze!" Alyssa called out from the other side of the room. Latis on the other hand just avoided the electric dragon's gaze.

"I-I'm okay…thanks for asking," she replied, finally finding her voice again.

"I'm glad," Zaze beamed at her. "So, want to hang out?"

"Uh…not right now, Zaze. Maybe later."

Zaze blinked. That was odd. That was probably the first time Latis ever declined his offer. Regardless, he didn't think much of it. "Okay then. See you around."

And with that electric dragon took off.

0

Latis walked down the halls of the Temple. Her mind had been bothering her. The dream she had of her and Zaze unnerved her. It was like it flicked on a switch that was never meant to be turned on. She felt confused at what she was feeling. She walked aimlessly as she tried to digest what was going on with her. Seeing Zaze again, his smile and everything about him, made her feel warm and tingly. She was confused if this was just the effects of Courtship Week or something far different.

"Hey Latis!"

She looked up, and saw that the voice had come from Ember, the fire dragoness. Of course her mate was right next to her, basking under her affections as they relaxed under a shade of a tree, which was Flame. Latis walked out of the Temple and was now at the Temple Grounds.

"Hey Ember," she replied, walking towards them.

"Hey! Where's Zaze? Isn't he with you?" Flame asked, looking for the yellow dragon.

"No," she replied, sitting beside Ember.

"That's odd. This is the first time I ever saw you alone." Ember then looked at her seriously. "Did you two have a fight?"

"No, of course not; I just…wanted to think alone for a moment."

Ember glanced at Flame, and almost a silent message was passed between them. Flame nodded, and then proceeded to excuse himself.

"Where are you going?" Latis asked, as the fire dragon got up.

"I want to eat something," Flame replied.

"I'll wait for you here. See you later, Flame." And then the fire dragon took off, into the Dragon Temple.

As he was out of earshot, Ember turned to Latis. "What happened?"

Latis raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Something obviously happened, and you're bothered by it. Why are you alone? It's Courtship Week and the gala is happening later this evening, have you found a date yet?"

Latis nodded. "I have. It's Zaze," she answered.  
But Ember could feel that something was up; especially at how she seemed to be deep in thought earlier.

"I can feel that something's bothering you. What is it?"

Latis glanced at her then sighed.

"I don't know Ember. I'm just confused."

"Confused about what?"

"What I'm feeling…"

"Is this about Zaze?"

It took a moment for Latis to reply. "Yes…It's Zaze."

"What about him?" Ember replied, listening patiently.

"I don't understand what I'm feeling…whenever I see him, I just feel happy about it; especially the way he treats me."

"What do you mean?"

"Zaze is always there for me whenever I need him. He saved my life twice. And I hate how I can never seem to repay the favour."

"Have you ever asked him why he does it?"

"I…" Latis thought for a moment. She never did ask him why he does it. "No. I don't. He just…does it."

"Do you know why he does it?" Ember asked, diverting the attention to her.

She shook her head. "But you're okay with everything he's been doing?"

"Yeah, I mean, he saved my life. I'm grateful."

"Latis, let me ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Do you have feelings for Zaze?"

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	22. Chapter 22 The Calm

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 22

The Calm

"Latis, let me ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Do you have feelings for Zaze?"

Latis stopped and thought for a cool minute. That was the first time she was ever asked that question. And it made her question her view on Zaze. Sure Zaze was a great dragon. Talkative, nice, friendly, cheerful; Zaze was a great dragon to have around and could liven up any situation if he wanted to. Latis thought of him as a friend; a best friend; but something more than that? She herself wasn't sure.

"I…I don't know."

"You're confused as to what you're feeling, right?"

"Yes…" Latis nodded.

"Is this the first time this has come up?"

"Yes, I only thought of it now."

"So, to sum it up…you're confused whether, it's just your heat, or the real deal?"

"The real deal being…?"

"You've fallen in love with Zaze."

Latis eyes widened at the bluntness of Ember's words. "Oh come on Latis, its natural. Zaze is a nice guy; charming. I'm guessing this is your first time, since you're so confused?"

"…yes…" Latis replied meekly. "And I don't know what to do."

"Then do what is normally done on Courtship Week. Ask him."

Latis brow rose. "Ask him what?"

"Ask him if the feeling is mutual. You could try asking him later at the Gala. That would be the perfect time."

"I…I'm scared."

"You should be. It's normal."

"What if he says no?"

"Before I answer that, what do you think is causing these feelings?"

Latis thought for a minute, putting everything into account. She looked back at all the times she was with Zaze. She didn't have these feelings before. It only started recently, and the catalyst was the dream she had. And that dream was triggered no doubt by her heat. So maybe, it was her heat.

"I think it's being caused by my heat."

Ember nodded. "Well, in that case then, there's no problem. It's not serious."

"I guess you do have a point. Thanks Ember."

"For what?"

"For taking the time to listen to me."

"Oh shucks. You don't have to thank me. I'm your friend. And fellow dragonesses help each other.

"Why do I get the feeling that you enjoy being a matchmaker?"

Ember smiled. "I'm just returning the favor."

"But you don't owe me anything."

"Exactly. It's not you."

"Zaze?"

Ember nodded. "He helped me; in more ways than one. It's high time he gets a happy ending."

0

"Achoo!"

"What's wrong with you?" The dragonfly asked.

"I don't know, Sparx. Maybe someone's talking about me."

Sparx looked at him incredulously. "You actually believe in that, Zaze?"

The electric dragon shook his head. "No. So Sparx, why are you here again?"

Sparx chuckled. "Well, to be honest, it was getting rather mushy."

"What?"

"Spyro and Cynder; they were just…" The dragonfly shook his head, unable to find the words. "I'm just glad, Zaze, that you're still single."

"What does that mean?"

"Look around you."

Zaze looked at Sparx, and then decided to follow his advice. He did a quick look of his surroundings. He noted nothing in particular. They were in the hallway of the Temple and they were alone.

"What do you see?" Sparx asked.

"Nothing."

"That's the point."

"Huh?"

Sparx sighed. "Zaze, what event is going on today?"

"The Gala, because it's Courtship Week."

"Yes. That's my point."

It took Zaze a second to realize what point Sparx was trying to get across.

"OH! I get it now. You're glad that I'm single because if I weren't, I wouldn't be here."

"Yes, exactly. You'd be out there, all lovey-dovey."

"Don't worry, Sparx. I don't plan on it."

"I'm glad."

"So what are we going to do?"

"I don't know. I went to you because I thought you were doing something."

Zaze smiled. "Well, we can be bored together."

And so, the two walked on heading to no direction in particular; a few moments in, they happen to come across the library, to find its door ajar. They were about to head off when Zaze saw someone inside.

"Is that, Crombe?"

"What's he doing in there?" Sparx asked.

"Let's go check him out."

The two quietly slipped into the door and into the library. But they were immediately caught, as Crombe voiced out, not even bothering to look at them as he kept reading the book he had in paw.

"What is it, Zaze?" he asked.

"How did you—"

"I heard you." The dragon looked up, giving him a flat stare.

"Oh. Uh…" Zaze scratched his chin. He was hoping that he was the one to catch him off guard. "How's your leg?"

"Fine," Crombe replied.

"What are you doing here, Crombe?" Sparx asked.

Crombe closed the book he was reading, seeing as the two were so keen on talking to him. "If you must know, I am here because I'd rather read than be out there wasting my time with relationships."

"Cold…" Sparx whispered to Zaze.

"Now if you don't mind, please leave. Go bother your friends, Zaze."

Zaze smiled. "That's what I'm doing."

Sparx had to admit, the moment Zaze replied with that answer, it was as if the atmosphere in the room changed.

Crombe looked at Zaze with a curious expression. "You consider me as a friend? After all I've done?"

Zaze walked up and sat in front of Crombe. "I do. That's what friends are for. We forgive and forget."

"I don't know if you're either stupid or just really trusting."

"I can tell you right now that he isn't one of them," Sparx replied.

"I try not to be the former," Zaze added.

"I will never understand you, Zaze." Crombe replied. He then sighed and looked at him sincerely. "But I am glad that I met you."

Zaze was taken a bit surprised. "Where did that come from?"

"I'm serious. I probably would have done something horrible if you guys hadn't talked to me. I would still be plotting my revenge. I guess it's a little late for that now huh?"

"If you get the chance, would you take your revenge on Malefor? Hypothetically speaking, that is." Sparx asked.

Crombe thought for a moment. "Yes. I would."

"Regardless. He's dead now. We have no choice but to look forward. In any case, we're all good now, right? No more, wanting Cynder dead? We're all friends?"

Crombe looked at him. "Yes, Zaze. We're good."

"Okay, just checking. Anyways, are you going to the Gala later, Crombe?"

The earth dragon shook his head. "No."

"Why?"

"Because I have no one to go with; and, I don't really want to waste my time with petty things."

"I think living alone for a long time has made you anti-social," Zaze remarked.

"I'm talking to you. That's social."

"He has a point," Sparx added.

"What I am trying to say is, are you avoiding social contact on purpose?"

Crombe rested his head on his left paw and glanced at Zaze. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"…yes," Zaze replied. "Because admittedly, I thought you'd be all over this. You were alone for a long time. I thought you'd be craving to talk to someone."

"I would have gone insane if I thought I was the only dragonfly alive in the world," added Sparx.

"I am perfectly sane, thank you very much. And no, Zaze, I just don't like being in parties. Social gatherings are just a waste of time."

"Why? And you sound like Zaze," Sparx said, glancing at the electric dragon.

"For the record, I'm only going because Latis doesn't have anyone to go with. And it seemed like she wanted to go so…"  
"Always selfless aren't you?" asked Sparx. Then he turned to Crombe. "So what's your reason?"

"Like, I said, it's a waste of time." Crombe then continued to explain, seeing as the two wanted an explanation. "Really. We see each other every day. What's the point in going to a party just to socialize, if we can do it anytime we want?"

"True. He has a point," Sparx said.

"But this is different," Zaze replied.

"Regardless," Crombe said. "I don't have the time for this. I appreciate this talk Zaze, I do. But right now, I'm a bit busy. If you guys would excuse me, I have someplace I need to be at the moment."

And with that, the earth dragon excused himself. Sparx and Zaze were left to stand there, looking at the earth dragon as he left through the library doors, closing it behind him.

0

"What am I even doing here?"

Zaze found himself standing idly at the corner of the Dining Hall, now turned into somewhat of a party hall. Music was lively being played and dragons of different shapes, colors and sizes were all around him, chatting animatedly and basically having a good time. He on the other hand, wasn't.

"Oh right…Latis…" Zaze said, remembering his previous answer.

That was the main reason he was here. Latis seemed eager to go to the Acquaintance Gala, and so he was willing to sacrifice himself in order for a friend to have a good time. Speaking, of which, where was she? Zaze looked around. A few moments earlier, she was standing right beside him. Now she was gone. He guessed that she had probably wondered off, no doubt to talk to dragons. Zaze stood out like a sore paw, standing at the corner like that. So he decided to correct that. Walking to the corner, he got himself a drink from a table and enjoyed it as he looked all over the room.

He saw Latis, thankfully, standing a few paces in front of him, drinking the very same drink he was having. Flame and Ember were with Spyro and Cynder, and the two couples were at the middle of the dance floor, having a good time. Sparx was nowhere to be seen, along with Manuel. He grew curious as to how he turned out. He did give him advice earlier.

"Having fun I hope?"

Zaze glanced to find the Ice Guardian standing beside him.

"Eh. Parties are still not my thing."

"Somehow, I agree with you."

Zaze raised a brow. "Where's Alyssa?"

Cyril motioned to his right. "She's probably out drinking as well, just like everyone else."

"Terrador?"

"Still not here, I believe."

"He's missing out," Zaze remarked, turning his attention back to the dancers.

"True."

Cyril turned his head, as he saw Alyssa at the corner of his eye. Cyril could see the healer was having way too much to drink.

"I have to go. I have to stop Alyssa from drinking too much."

"Why?" Zaze asked.

"Albeit this stuff might taste like orange to you, this is still alcoholic."

Zaze looked at him seriously. "What?"

"Yes, it is."

As if to prove a point, an ice dragon came into the fray, and Zaze recognized who he was immediately.

"Zaze!" The dragon called out.  
"Manuel?" Zaze replied, immediately noticing something was up. The dragon was tipping, like his balance was off. His voice sounded slurred and he was hiccupping; the dragon was drunk. Before he could even reply, Manuel collapsed in front of Zaze.

"Hey! Are you okay?" he asked, checking him over. The only reply he got was a groan.

"Oh jeez, Manuel!" a voice said.

The two dragons looked up to find Celsius going over to them.

"You need to get him back to his room," said Cyril.  
"That's what I'm planning to do," Celsius replied. "Come on, Manuel."

Zaze and Cyril watched as the dragoness dragged off a groaning Manuel out of the Dining Hall. Zaze wondered if by chance Celsius was Manuel's date. He made a mental note to ask that later.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry for missing my chapter update schedule. Our internet got knocked out, and I only managed to borrow the internet adapter my dad has today. So yeah. Apologize about that.

REGARDLESS,

The story must continue. As of late, a very interesting review has gotten my attention, and I do believe it deserves to be featured so that everyone can see it.

Review by darkweave

====REVIEW====

okay so this is going to sound crazy but bear with me as i try to explain. my theory is that Zaze, the dark dragon from LOL 1 and these two mysterious dragons are all the shattered consciousness of Malefor.

... Yeah so I should probably explain shouldn't I. well in chapter 35 of LoL 1 when they are saying that it must have been a purple dragon he specifically states that there are only two purple dragons, however when questioned on this he was certain he only said one and then reacts almost violently when the name Malefor is brought up. that scene made me think that Zaze's parents had been killed by Malefor, however after the appearance of dark dragon I started coming up with this theory.

The Dark dragon showed up, unbeknownst to us, near the beginning of the story, a story which began coincidentally right after the defeat of Malefor. Zaze also appeared right after Malefor's defeat with no memory of his life until that point. the likelihood of these two characters appearing right after Malefor's "Death" and having nothing to do with him seemed low, the dark dragon even states "I didn't think you survived after that entire failure of a dream you had." So obviously something happened to this entity that became Zaze that should have killed him, that event could have been getting pulled into the crystal at the center of Avalar.

Another clue came from Volteer's mention of a dragon called Maffrin. Maffrin was the only person besides Volteer to know of the electric hyper-speed trick that Volteer invented, that is to say the only person besides Volteer and Zaze. when he learned of Maffrin, Zaze asked if he had a son. given his position it seemed a logical question to ask, however he didn't get an answer and surely Volteer would know Zaze if he was the son of one of his closest friends. it was quickly stated that Maffrin died fighting Malefor, it was a fight in which Maffrin would surely have use the hyper-speed technique, if he saw it done then it could be assumed that Malefor and by extension Zaze would have been able to figure out how it worked and use it himself.

The Dark Dragon was (or possibly is since it was left somewhat ambiguous as to whether or not he was really killed at the end of LOL 1) evil, malicious and power-hungry. Zaze is powerful enough to fight toe to toe with Spyro and win and applied logical deduction brilliantly in the last few chapter's of LOL 1, on top of this Malefor stated he used to be a lot like spyro during dawn of the dragon, and Volteer claimed Zaze reminded him of spyro (Lol 1 chap 36). now these two appear also claiming to have been part of this combined entity and one of them seems to have some kind of plan.  
evil, malicious, power-hungry, powerful, logical and a chessmaster type planner is more or less a word for word description of Malefor.

This would explain Zaze's amnesia due to only being a fragment of what he once was, as well as his obscene level of skill and power, not to mention his ability to use convexity and the hyper-speed trick.

I'm pretty sure that that's all of my evidence and reasoning. I think I put more thought into this than is probably healthy especially considering I spent over an hour to write this comment due to browsing through the story fact checking. I should probably go to sleep now but in any case that is my theory Malefor= Zaze + Dark Dragon + Two Mysterious Dragons.  
I put a lot of effort into this theory and am currently doubting my mental stability, but on the upside I think I answered my own question. I think I've figured who Zaze the dragon really is.

====END OF REVIEW=====

So yes, It would seem that darkweave theorizes and has defended his theory well, of that Zaze is apparently Malefor. I would just like to point out though that I will remain neutral in this and just say that: Thank you for that rather interesting theory. You surely have presented quite a strong case, given the evidences you have. Best believe that if you read that review while having the "Pursuit ~ Cornered" theme from Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney playing in the background, it feels even more legit. Try it. Trust me, you guys won't be any case, I'm not going to say whether he's right or wrong. I don't want to spoil the story, and rather keep you guys on your toes. It's what makes the story even more interesting, to keep the readers guessing. Any one else have theories you can present? I'm willing to hear them out.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	23. Chapter 23 Apology

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 23

Apology

The two dragons looked up to find Celsius going over to them.

"You need to get him back to his room," said Cyril.  
"That's what I'm planning to do," Celsius replied. "Come on, Manuel."

Zaze and Cyril watched as the dragoness dragged off a groaning Manuel out of the Dining Hall. Zaze wondered if by chance Celsius was Manuel's date. He made a mental note to ask that later.

Cyril turned to Zaze. "Like I said, I have to stop Alyssa from drinking too much."

Zaze smiled. "Go. She needs you."

The Ice Guardian wondered at what Zaze meant, but decided to just let it slip. He took off, going to the earth dragoness who was drinking at the other side of the room. Zaze decided to look for someone else to talk to, seeing as he was getting bored. Latis was still busy chatting with her friends, and Spyro and the others were probably the same. He turned his head, and was surprised to see a dragon he wasn't expecting. Crombe was standing at the corner, rubbing his forehead with his right paw.

"I thought you weren't going to attend," he stated as he approached.

Crombe looked at him and snorted. "I wasn't."

Zaze raised a brow. "Then why are you here?"

The earth dragon sighed. "If you must know, I couldn't sleep. It was way too noisy."

That didn't make any sense. The Dining Hall was relatively of distance from the dormitories in the Temple. And besides, it's not like they were playing loud music. On the contrary, it was soft, soothing music, provided by the musicians.

"What?" Zaze asked.

The earth dragon looked at him. "I could hear the thumping, the grunts, and the moans next door," he answered flatly.

It took a moment for the electric dragon to realize what he meant.

"You mean…?"

"…yes, that."

"Oh..."

"Yeah…"

There was uncomfortable silence that hung between the two.

"Anyways," Crombe said, breaking the ice. "Where's your date?"

"She's…there…somewhere." In truth, Zaze had lost sight of her. She must have mixed in the crowd somewhere.

Crombe shook his head. "Why do you put up with this?"

"Put up with what?"

"The fact that you go through all this trouble just to help someone."

Zaze cocked his head to the side. "Well, it's because I care for my friends. When they're happy, I am happy. So, I'm willing to put my issues aside for them."

"One of these days, Zaze, your selflessness will get to you," he said, almost prophetically.

He waved a paw at him dismissively. "Let's just hope it doesn't."

Crombe snorted. "I'm going to get something to drink. Want anything?"

"This is new, coming from you."

He frowned. "Take it or leave it."

"I'm good. Thanks for asking."

Crombe then walked away, leaving Zaze to his own devices.

"Rough…Crombe…too rough…" he said to himself.

Zaze turned around and looked for someone else to talk to. This time, he happened to luckily find Latis again. There she was, standing next to Draiana and Ember, seemingly having a blast. Out of boredom, he decided to go over to them.

"Hey guys, what are you all talking about?" Zaze said, trying to break himself in.

The three girls all giggled as they looked at Zaze. The electric dragon immediately got the gist that something was up. From the way they all swayed slightly, he could infer that all of them were probably drunk.

"Oh, nothing in particular," Latis replied, standing next to her date. She leaned slightly on him, making him more of a support.

"You okay?"

"I'm…fine," she replied, before falling over next to him.  
"Latis!?" He immediately began checking on her to see if she was okay.

"She's fine, Zaze. For the record though, I did warn her she shouldn't drink much. This stuff is alcoholic."

"You should take her to her room," Draiana suggested.  
"You're right, come on Latis," Zaze said, as he hefted on her back.

"Oh…soft…"

"Be careful you two," Draiana said as they walked off.

0

"Oh you're no fun, Cyril."

The Ice Guardian sighed as he walked alongside a rather half-drunk dragoness. Alyssa walked with a slight tilt in her walk, leaning on the male dragon for some support. She was currently being escorted back to her room. Cyril on the other hand was trying to maintain his composure. He himself had drunk the concoction that was being served at the Dining Hall, and the effects were beginning to kick in.

"You do understand that you shouldn't be getting drunk, right?"

"Says the dragon that was also drinking alongside me," she replied smartly.

Cyril gave her a look. "You're missing the point."

"It's a one-time thing anyway." She waved a paw at him dismissively. "I rarely have fun anymore."

A few moments later, the two dragons arrived at Alyssa's room, which was practically next to the infirmary. Cyril headed in, and began rummaging at the nearest cabinet for some medication. He didn't want to wake up the next day with a bad headache. Alyssa on the other hand, walked over to the bed and unceremoniously collapsed on it. She rolled to her side and watched Cyril work. Feeling the eyes beginning to burn holes on his back, the ice dragon broke the ice between them.

He stopped for a moment to look at her. "What?"

The dragoness shook her head. "Nothing…what are you doing anyway?"

Cyril went back to what he was doing, but eventually sighed. "I can't find it."

"Find what?"

"The medication for the headache that will obviously hit me tomorrow."

"You do know that you can just sleep it off, right?"

Cyril shook his head. "But that's not a clear guarantee, is it? And besides, I have to wake up early tomorrow."

"Why? We don't have anything to do tomorrow. Classes are temporarily out due to Courtship Week."

"That's the point. I have to make sure everything is in order when things are back on track."

Alyssa laughed wryly, prompting a raised brow from Cyril. "What's so funny?"

"I never expected you to be this responsible, Cyril."

Cyril looked a bit hurt. "You only noticed that now?"

"I guess you could say that," she replied honestly. "Back then, all you cared about was getting under a dragoness' tail."

The Ice Guardian fidgeted and felt a little embarrassed. "Well, I'm not proud of that. But I can say that I have grown out of my old…habits."

"Oh really now?" said Alyssa.

"Yes. And I thank you for that." The dragoness' brow rose, prompting Cyril to explain.

"Well, before I met you—again I guess—I was practically my old self: arrogant and self-righteous, albeit less but still there. "

"I beg to differ of it being less."

Cyril raised his paw in defeat. "Maybe not less, but the point is: you showing up, and making me realize the error of my ways…" The Ice dragon sighed. "You could say changed me for the better. Like I said before…" Cyril said, remembering his apology.

0 = 0 = 0

"I was…reflecting, about the things you've said. Listen, I'm sorry okay."

Alyssa scoffed and rolled her eyes. She was about to turn, when Cyril grabbed hold of her shoulder.

"I mean it." He looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry. For everything."

0 = 0 = 0

"I'm sorry for what I did to you. No one deserved to have that done to them."

Alyssa smiled at him. This was the Cyril she fell in love with. Not the prideful backstabbing one.

"I'm just sad though," Cyril continued.

"About what?"

"That I've caused this…rift between us."

An awkward silence hung between them for a moment.

Cyril was the one that cracked the ice however, as he moved to the door. "I guess I'll leave now. You need to get your sleep."

"Cyril, wait."

"Yes?"

Alyssa stood up from the bed, and walked over to him.

"I just want to say: Cyril, I fell in love with you because of who you are, albeit you had some personality issues. I am glad now that, you've changed for the better. And…I'm willing to give our relationship a second chance."

The Ice Guardian looked at her. "What do you mean? I thought you hated me. I thought you didn't love me anymore after all the damage I've done."

"I never said I didn't love you," Alyssa said, looking him in the eye. "I just wanted to hear you apologize and repent for what you've done. And I have now. I also just want to say, chastising yourself is a bit harsh, even for you."

Cyril's brow rose. The only dragons that knew about him chastising was Zaze and Terrador. Both were great in keeping secrets. So how did she know? Unless…

"How did you—wait, back at the infirmary. Were you eavesdropping on us!?"

Alyssa smiled sheepishly. "You could say that. I overheard you two talking. And Cyril…"

"Yes?" he asked, trying to wrap his mind at what was going on.

"I'll gladly accept you back; but I think you'll have to change your vow from being chaste to being faithful instead."

"What do you—"

Cyril was cut off, as Alyssa pressed her maw to his. He was taken aback at the sudden action, and even more so when he could feel the fire behind Alyssa's kiss as she used her tongue. One thing was on Cyril's mind, before he let himself go with the flow.

He wasn't going to mess this up.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	24. Chapter 24 The Storm

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 24

The Storm

"Oh my goodness…I didn't know you were so heavy…"

The electric dragon grumbled to himself as he walked down the empty halls of the Temple. After saying goodbye to Draiana and Ember, he began carrying the luggage that was on his back. The ice dragoness, Latis, was in no condition to walk due to the amount of alcohol she had drunk. Being a good friend, and technically her date to the Gala, Zaze took it upon himself to see her to her room. Zaze could see no dragon in the hall, and it was fairly obvious why. Either they were partying at the Dining Hall, or getting intimate with one another, in their bedrooms. It was Courtship Week after all.

"Why did you have to get drunk…?" Zaze asked more to himself than to Latis.

Latis herself wasn't making the situation any better. Although she was resting on his back, her head was dangling a little to the side, and Zaze had to keep her balanced with the use of his wings to keep her from falling off. He even had to wrap his tail around her tail base to secure her.

"You're no fun…" she replied.

Zaze raised a brow. "Is that so?"

"Yes!" she slurred. "You should have drunk with us, Zaze."

"Uh…no thank you," he replied. "I'd rather not wake up with a headache."

He couldn't see it, but Zaze could feel that Latis was pouting at him. "Why are you always like this?" she punctuated her question with a hiccup.

"What do you mean?"

"Always…being this helpful…"

Zaze sighed. "It's because you're my friend, Latis. And friends always help each other."

"I guess…" she said, making herself comfortable on his back.

That was when she remembered something. Through her drunken state, she remembered her conversation with Ember.

0 = 0 = 0

"I…I don't know."

"You're confused as to what you're feeling, right?"

"Yes…" Latis nodded.

"Is this the first time this has come up?"

"Yes, I only thought of it now."

"So, to sum it up…you're confused whether, it's just your heat, or the real deal?"

"The real deal being…?"

"You've fallen in love with Zaze."

Latis eyes widened at the bluntness of Ember's words. "Oh come on Latis, its natural. Zaze is a nice guy; charming. I'm guessing this is your first time, since you're so confused?"

"…yes…" Latis replied meekly. "And I don't know what to do."

"Then do what is normally done on Courtship Week. Ask him."

Latis brow rose. "Ask him what?"

"Ask him if the feeling is mutual. You could try asking him later at the Gala. That would be the perfect time."

"I…I'm scared."

"You should be. It's normal."

"What if he says no?"

"Before I answer that, what do you think is causing these feelings?"

"I think it's being caused by my heat."

Ember nodded. "Well, in that case then, there's no problem. It's not serious."

"I guess you do have a point. Thanks Ember."

0 = 0 = 0

Latis quieted herself as she began to mull over the conversation she had. Ember did have a point. There was no point in being scared. Her feelings were being caused by her heat. It wasn't serious or anything. Right? She asked herself, though not really expecting an answer. But if she was going to ask Zaze, now was the perfect time. They were alone and had privacy.

"Latis?"

Hearing his voice snapped her back to attention. "Huh?"

"Oh. I thought you fell asleep," said the dragon. "You went quiet for a moment."

"I'm awake," she replied. "Hey, Zaze?"

"Yes?" the electric dragon replied.

"Um…can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"What do you…" Latis bit her lip. She wasn't sure how to word it exactly. "…think of me?"

"What do I think of you?" Zaze repeated.

"Yeah…"

"Well…" The dragon stopped walking for a moment to think. He then continued walking as he got an answer. "I think of you as a great friend, Latis; a friend that I could always count on to be by my side and always has my back."

"A friend?"

"Well, okay. A best friend; someone I need to get to her room before she starts making a mess of herself."

Latis sighed and felt bad. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Like I said, I volunteered for this. I'm your date; so technically, I'm responsible for you too. I can't have you passing out in the middle of the dance floor. That'll make me a bad date."

She chuckled. "I guess…"

Zaze turned his head and glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "Anyways, what made you ask that question?"

Latis looked away from him and tried to avert her eyes from his. His gaze made her blush, a stark contrast from her scales. "I was just…"

"Just what?"

"Wondering about… Celsius?"

Zaze was puzzled. "Celsius? You were wondering about Celsius?"

Latis shook her head. "No! I mean—"

"Fancy meeting you two here."

Zaze turned his head back up front to find Celsius walking up to them.

"Oh! I get it now!" Zaze said, realizing Latis's sudden odd statement. "Hey Celsius."

"What are you doing here?" Latis asked.

"I had to get Manuel back to his room," she answered.

"He was drunk. Kind of like you," Zaze added.

"Well in any case, I'll see you two around," Celsius replied, before walking off.

"We should get going to. Your room's right around the corner right?"

"Yes."

Zaze trotted off and turned around the next corner. Sure enough, there was Latis's room. Carefully, he slid her off of his back, and allowed himself as support.

"Thanks, Zaze," Latis replied.

"You're welcome. Now get some rest. You don't want to wake up with a headache tomorrow."

Latis nodded. Zaze smiled at her, and then turned around to leave. Latis bit her lip. Her chance to ask him was slipping.

"Zaze! Wait!"

The electric dragon turned around to face her. "Yes?"

Her heart beat frantically in her chest. It was so much easier to tell yourself that you could ask the question, rather than actually doing it. Nervousness began to creep into her as milliseconds ticked by. She had to say something. He was waiting. Her brain was waging a war. She wanted to ask the question at the same time, a sense of fear was preventing her from doing so. In the end all she could muster to say was,

"…goodnight."

Zaze smiled warmly back at her.

"Goodnight, Latis."

And then Zaze walked off.

0

Latis rolled to her side as she could feel her bed shake slightly. Groaning, her consciousness came back to her as she opened her eyes. The first thing that registered in her mind was darkness. That only meant one thing. It was still the middle of the night, and daylight was probably still relatively far away.

The throbbing in her head was now relatively gone, and was left in peace. She thanked the ancestors mentally for that and Zaze. She promised herself she would never get drunk ever again. The audible loud music was gone now, meaning the party must have been over a few hours ago. Hours? Or was it just minutes? She didn't know the current time. All she did know was that, once her head came into contact with the soft bed, she welcomed sleep with open paws. She sighed and glanced to her left as noticed she movement. It was yellow. It was associating itself quickly to one thing.

"Zaze?"

True enough, the electric dragon was right there. The male was resting on his side, a faint blush across his cheeks and a dazed look in his eyes. It took a moment for Latis to register what she was seeing. Apparently, Zaze, was right next to her; in bed.

"Oh…" he replied. His voice sounded a little slurred and…tired? Latis wasn't sure. "I'm sorry…did I wake you?"

"It's okay," she replied, though not sure herself if it really was. They were awfully close to each other. "What are you doing here?"

"I came back. I was worried about you," he replied, looking her in the eye.

"I see," Latis replied. "Are you drunk, Zaze?"

The electric dragon chuckled. "Am I? I guess. I had a few drinks back at the Gala before I stopped by here. Nice bed by the way."

"Uh…thank you," she replied.

"Latis, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

He smirked. "You like me, don't you?"

Latis blinked. Where did that come from?

"W-why do you ask?"

Zaze smiled at her. "I see the way you look at me. And besides, if you didn't, you'd have kicked me out by now."

Latis had to admit. He had a point. Her personal space was being invaded and somehow, she didn't care because it was Zaze. She was about to reply when Zaze began to unravel his wings and use it to cover her, like a blanket. The same way he did it before back at the camping trip. Before long, she was staring at his eyes and him back. She could feel her heart pulse and blood rush to her face. It was a rather intimate moment.

"I just want to say…I like you too."

Then he kissed her. Their maws connected and Latis felt herself melt in his affections. The kissing slowly became more passionate as Zaze began to use his tongue. At the sudden intrusion, Latis's mind came back to reality. What on earth were they doing? She pulled away, averting her gaze from him, a blush on her cheeks.

"I…I don't think we should do this," she replied meekly.

Zaze smiled and cupped her cheek, making her look at him. "Come on Latis, you know you want this. I can smell you. I like you and you like me. It's Courtship Week. Now's the perfect time than any other."

And so, with suave words, Zaze managed to convince Latis to give in to her untamed desires with little to no efforts. Latis's mind was shut out by the overwhelming sense of desire to have one another. She couldn't think clearly, nor did she want to. At that moment in time, all she wanted was him. And most probably, he wanted her; especially how Zaze confessed his feelings for her. Latis didn't have to ask him, like Ember suggested. The night continued on as the two shared their love for each other under the new found revelation. Latis screamed in to the night, alongside the many other dragonesses in the Temple as well. Their mating was rough, but fulfilling, as it was their first time for each other. They even rolled off the bed cushions as Zaze continued giving it to her. She moaned under his actions as Zaze whispered sweet words into her ear. However, lack of experience dawned on them, as Latis neared her end. Nearing her limit, she cried out.

0

"AHHH!"

Latis woke up; beads of sweat pouring down her face. Her heart was beating frantically like a drum. Her breathing was erratic as she came back into reality. What she had just witness was yet another dream. She sat up and looked around her. Her bed cushion was ruffled and messy. And the dragon of her dreams, Zaze, was nowhere to be seen. It took a moment to realize what was going on. She looked down herself and was surprised to find the base that a portion of the bed was wet. That was when the familiar tangy scent entered her nostrils.

"Oh…" she groaned, as she realized exactly what had transpired. "It was just a dream…"

Everything was just a dream; she, kissing Zaze; the two of them sharing a night of love making; all of it. It was all just one heat induced dream.

"Oh my goodness…it was just a dream," she repeated to herself, a smile slowly forming on her lips. Now that she had a good grip on reality, looking back, it all did seem too uncharacteristic. Zaze wasn't like that; all suave and stuff and to take advantage of her. He was a good and respectable dragon. He would never do that. Her smile dropped as she rolled to her side.

Right there, lying on the floor was none other than the electric dragon, Zaze, and he was sleeping. What was Zaze doing in her room? One thing popped into Latis's mind that was just all too vivid. Her face drained in color at the realization.

"It…wasn't a dream?"

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	25. Chapter 25 Another Mission

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 25

Another Mission

The Acquaintance Gala had come to an end as the night passed and morning came. The once lively Temple now fell back into slumber as the residents took their long needed rest from partying. There were no classes the next day, thus no one was awake at the early hours of the morning. Even the Guardians were still fast asleep. At one specific room, two dragons laid resting on the bed. The Ice Guardian was snoring peacefully, resting his head on the cushions. Right next to him was the resident Temple Healer, her head lying on his chest, a contented smile on her face.

Slowly, the dragoness's eyes opened, welcoming the morning rays of the sun that shown through the window. She gently shifted as to not wake the sleeping dragon next to her. She smiled, seeing his sleeping face. It was just like before. That handsome face she fell in love with. No words could describe how much she loved the ice guardian, even with all the problems his actions have caused. But said problems were now a thing of the past; nothing more than a scar to remember every now and then, and serve as a lesson for both of them. She carefully placed her head right next to his, and gave him a tender lick to the cheek. Cyril let out a throaty groan, shifting slightly to move closer to her, savoring the warmth they shared.

For a given few moments, she laid there, just watching him sleep. Again, she gave him another loving lick on the cheek. This time though, Cyril stirred.

He groaned. "Good morning," he replied, not opening his eyes.

"Good morning to you too," Alyssa replied, nuzzling him.

Cyril opened his eyes to look at her. "Had a good sleep?"

She felt contented to place herself under his chin. "I have actually; especially with how you tired me out last night."

Cyril smiled. "Well, you did ask for it."

"And I took all of it."

"Yes, you did."

He sighed, making Alyssa raise a brow. "What is it?"

"I'm just sad that we have to get up now."

"Get up? For what?"

"Unlike you, I still have things to check on, even if it's Courtship Week."

"Like what, exactly?" Alyssa replied, wrapping her paws around him.

"Well," Cyril looked at her. "Terrador, for example."

"Terrador?"

"I didn't see him last night. I'm a bit worried about him."

"Oh you, Cyril, he's the Earth Guardian, he can take care of himself. Who knows, he might have a date."

Cyril then remembered that particular dragoness that was looking for Terrador yesterday. Was it a coincidence? Regardless, he didn't put much thought into it.

"I guess you have a point. But there is one thing we have to worry about."

"And that is?"

"The couples; they're not exactly…informed. They might think they did something bad."

"The mating, right?"

"Yep."

0

"Okay…okay…calm down…calm down."

Latis paced back and forth, the sounds of her claws hitting the stone floor echoed inside the empty bathroom. After her 'surprise' this morning, she decided to go to the bathroom and clear her head. The ramifications of what she had done the night before raised red flags in her head. She had mated with Zaze…did she? Was it a dream? Apparently it wasn't. If it was, what was Zaze doing in her room then? It didn't make any sense to her, and the more she thought about it, the more confused she got. For a brief moment, she thought of asking Zaze upfront. However, she couldn't bring herself to ask him. She was scared to know the consequences she had gotten herself into. She found comfort in her ignorance. But at the same time, it scared her.

"Latis?"

She jumped, nearly spitting out an icicle at the source of the voice by near instinct. The dragoness that had entered quickly ducked to avoid the icicle that didn't come.

"Whoa! What was that for?"

"I'm sorry, Ember. I'm just…"

"Nervous? I can see that," the fire dragoness said, approaching her.

Somehow, seeing Ember made Latis feel comfortable; she was a trusted friend of her. Maybe she could help her dilemma.

"What's wrong, Latis?"

"Ember…" she looked at her. "I…I…"

That was when the main issue as to why she was all worked up about all this finally came out.

"I think I'm gravid."

Ember raised a brow. "What?"

"I think…I have eggs."

"What are you talking about?"

"Me and…Zaze…and…last night…"

She broke down crying.

0

It took Ember a few moments to calm Latis down and have her explain herself. When she got the full story out, she herself was confused.

"So, let me get this straight, you think you're carrying…Zaze's eggs?"

She nodded, wiping the tear in her eyes. "I'm not a healer Latis, but um, are you sure about this?"

She didn't answer, but instead just looked at the ground. "Did you ask him if you two mated last night?"

She shook her head. "No…I…kind of panicked. Even I myself can't remember. I must have been pretty hammered last night than I thought."

"Then you should, Latis. I think you got way over ahead of yourself on this one. You should always confirm before assuming." Latis nodded, taking in Ember's advice. "And besides, I don't think you can get pregnant that easily. You should know that; you're the healer's apprentice."

Latis sighed. Maybe she was just over reacting.

"I don't understand though, why you're all worked up about this. Zaze isn't the type of dragon that would do that sort of thing."

"You think so too, huh?"

"I know so. The sooner you ask him, the sooner we can get over this problem of yours."

0

"Dude, are you okay?"

He groaned. "No, Sparx. I am not. I have a throbbing headache."

"Well, I did warn you last night not to drink much."

"You should have stopped me, Flame," replied the dragon massaging his head with a Temple.

"Trust me, Zaze, I tried," Flame answered.

"If it still hurts, try asking Alyssa for some medication for it," Sparx suggested. "It might help."

"I think I'll go do that; before that though, has any of you seen, Latis?"

The dragonfly shook his head, as well as the fire dragon. "Why?"

"It's…nothing."

Sparx looked at Flame, and together, the two just shrugged. "We'll tell her if we see her."

"Thanks." Zaze then turned and walked out of the Dining Hall, heading to the Infirmary to get some painkillers.

"What do you think happened?" Flame asked.

"Beats me."

"By the way, where's Spyro?"

Sparx glanced at him. "He's with Cynder. I think the two are still sleeping."

Flame nodded. He then turned his head, and smiled. "Well look who's here."

"Manuel?" Sparx asked.

"Hey guys…" he replied, with a yawn.

"Are you okay? Do you have a hangover too?" said the dragonfly, flying over to him.  
"Oh, do I ever…" he replied, before slumping down the table in front of them.

"I saw you getting dragged last night by, Celsius. You were pretty hammered."

"Was that your first time drinking?" Sparx asked.

"First…and last; I can't deal with this hangover," he replied.

Flame patted him on the back. "Well, we all have to learn one time or the other."

"It's a good thing I don't drink," Sparx said.

"Trust me, Sparx. The headache is just…oh…" He let out a groan as he massaged his temple.

"You should get something to drink, like water," Flame suggested.

0

Spyro let out a sigh as he walked down the halls of the Temple.

"What is it?" Cynder asked.

"I'm just…tired, honestly," he replied.

"I am too, Spyro. But this must be important."

"Yeah, I guess."

The two dragons were walking down the halls of the Temple, headed to the Guardians' Room. Earlier, Celsius had come by their room and told them that the Earth Guardian was looking for them. She said it was something urgent, and they must come quickly. And so they did. Spyro gently knocked on the door, and heard Terrador's voice beckon them in.

"You were looking for us?" he asked, as he entered. Terrador looking outside the window, the sun's rays illuminating his green scales.

"Yes," Terrador replied, turning to face them.

"What is it, Terrador?" Cynder asked, sitting beside Spyro who sat the yellow cushions at the side.

"First things first, what do you notice?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you noticed that someone has been absent lately?"

Cynder raised a brow. "Absent?"

"Correct. Is there someone that comes to mind when I say you haven't seen them for a while?"

The question hung in the air as the two thought of their answer. Then, it hit them.

"Flare," Cynder replied.

"Volteer," Spyro answered.

"That is correct. The Fire and the Electric Guardian have been absent as of late. And not many dragons seemed to have noticed that."

"I guess. I haven't seen them in a while. What happened?"

"What happened, is what I am about to tell you," Terrador replied.

The two dragons sat up straight and listened attentively. This WAS important.

"A few days ago, a letter came to us from the Cheetahs."

0 = 0 = 0

"Volteer?" Terrador called out.

The Earth Guardian entered the Guardians' Room to find the Electric and Fire Guardian resting for the time being. School starting had taken a toll on them and a well needed break was necessary; and besides the fact that the two wanted to spend some time with each other. However, Terrador's tone made them all perk up.

"What is it Terrador?" Volteer asked.

"I think you should look at this," the dragon said, handing him a scroll. "Chase delivered it earlier. What do you make of it?"

Flare looked at the scroll as Volteer opened it. "What is it?"

"Hmm…" Volteer began to read it and immediately noticed the sense of urgency in the words.

"It seems we are needed," he said.

"Yes. Personally, I would volunteer to go," said Terrador looking at the two of them.

"But you have classes, Terrador. And you handle the most important of them all, Flight Training," replied Flare.

"Cyril can't go either. He handles Elemental Training and has a full load," said Volteer.

"Well it's settled then. I'll go," said Flare.

"Alone?" Terrador asked.

"I can handle myself," Flare said, puffing out her chest with pride.

"I'll go with you," said Volteer. "It's too dangerous."

"It's fine with me. As long as you two don't get side tracked," said Terrador flatly, looking at the two of them. Immediately Flare blushed at what Terrador was insinuating. Volteer on the other hand looked aghast. "Are you saying we're like animals looking to get into a rut as soon as we get privacy?"

Terrador shook his head. "No. I didn't say that. Don't take it personally."

"I was only joking, of course, don't worry Terrador we won't get side tracked," said Volteer.

"I hope so."

0 = 0 = 0

"So it was settled that Volteer and Flare would look into the matter that the Cheetahs presented."

"What was it?" Cynder asked.

"Apparently, there was a monster that had been sighted appearing near the mountains of Avalar. It had been attacking the cheetahs that ever came into the vicinity. It was proving to be a problem since that area was where they usually hunt; even more so, when one cheetah nearly died from it attacking."

"I see," said Spyro. "Isn't that area not far from our campsite?"

"Yes. You were under full protection by the cheetahs when you were there. You must have seen Cyril talking to one of them there in hushed whispers, right?"

0 = 0 = 0

That was no doubt the Cheetah Village. Speaking of which, were eagerly waiting for them down the clearing. As they landed, Cyril and Alyssa immediately walked up to Chief Prowlus, whilst the other cheetahs directed the other dragons to assemble at the side for the time being.

"Chief Prowlus."

"Cyril."

"You two are really going to do this?" he asked.

"Yes. We find it necessary, plus it benefits all of them so that the two will be easily accepted," Alyssa replied.  
"Well, I understand. But do be wary. We will be guarding the perimeter and will raise the alarm the moment we caught sight…of it."

"Any news on the other two?" Cyril asked concernedly.

"No, not yet; give them time."

"Understood."

And with that, Chief Prowlus nodded, and then turned around.

0 = 0 = 0

"Now that you mention it, yes; he was talking to him. I didn't really take note of it at the time," Cynder answered.

"Now you know. So the Guardians looked into it, and haven't come back. We're assuming the worst."

"You want the two of us to look for them then, is that it?" Spyro asked seriously.

Terrador nodded. "I'm sorry if I have to call you two to do this. But we have no one else left. I can't exactly go, and same as Cyril. We have to watch over the Temple."

"We understand, Terrador. Don't worry, we'll find them," Cynder replied.

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**


	26. Chapter 26 Outburst

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my characters. Other canon characters are owned by their respective companies.**

**Exclaimer: To people who don't like the story, just don't read it.**

**Special Thanks to Alec the Dark Angel for being my beta for this story.**

**Special Thanks to Strigon175 for being my beta for this story.**

* * *

Chapter 26

Outburst

She sighed. "Thanks Ember."

The fire dragoness turned her head to look at her. "For what?"

"For, you know…being a good friend to me," she replied.

"Oh shucks, Latis, I'm just only doing my job. And besides, you really need a friend right now, of all times, given your current situation."

She nodded, then a question popped into her head. "By the way, you seem calm about this. Tell me; did you mate with Flame last night?"

Ember was surprised at her frankness. She looked at her, caught off guard by the question. "W-why do you ask?"

She returned her a flat stare. "You did, didn't you?"

There was an awkward silence that hung between them for the few moments they walked. The only thing that was audible was the sound of their claws hitting the stone floor. Ember glanced at Latis to find that she still was looking at her.

"Okay, fine! Stop looking at me like that!" She looked around to confirm that they were alone, before turning to her and whispering, "Yes. Okay? Yes. We did do it last night."

Latis smiled wryly at her. "Was it your first?"

"Yes, that was my first."

"Then how come you're not worried about this!?" she blurted out.

"Worried about what?"

"Being gravid! Am I the only one rationally sound about all this?" she asked her.

Ember sighed. "Listen, I'm not worried about it, and I'm not worried about you, because Flame mentioned something about the drinks and food last night having contraceptives mixed in them."  
"Are you sure about that?"

"Not really. I was drunk as well last night, remember?"

Latis glared at the ground, angry at the effects of alcohol. "Do you think we can ask the Guardians about that?"

"We surely can. He mentioned that it was the Guardians that told him that."

"Okay. I'll ask Cyril later. We need to ask Zaze first before them."

"So by the way," said Ember.

"What is it?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Like I said, how are you feeling?" Ember repeated the question.

"Well, aside from panicky earlier from the thoughts of maybe carrying eggs, peachy."

"Peachy; do you still feel your heat?" Ember asked.

Latis thought for a moment, and sensed her body. The burning sensation that usually came and went from yesterday in her loins was still there. However, it was lesser and not a strong than it used to be.

"A little," she replied.

"Do you think you can think clearly now?"

"I…guess? Where are you going with this?" Latis asked, confused with the sudden line of questioning.

"I'm going to ask you the same question from before."

"And that is?"

"Do you have feelings for Zaze?"

"I thought I already answered that question?"

"You have."

0 = 0 = 0

"I…I don't know."

"You're confused as to what you're feeling, right?"

"Yes…" Latis nodded.

"Is this the first time this has come up?"

"Yes, I only thought of it now."

"So, to sum it up…you're confused whether, it's just your heat, or the real deal?"

"The real deal being…?"

"You've fallen in love with Zaze."

Latis eyes widened at the bluntness of Ember's words. "Oh come on Latis, its natural. Zaze is a nice guy; charming. I'm guessing this is your first time, since you're so confused?"

"…yes…" Latis replied meekly. "And I don't know what to do."

"Then do what is normally done on Courtship Week. Ask him."

Latis brow rose. "Ask him what?"

"Ask him if the feeling is mutual. You could try asking him later at the Gala. That would be the perfect time."

"I…I'm scared."

"You should be. It's normal."

"What if he says no?"

"Before I answer that, what do you think is causing these feelings?"

Latis thought for a minute, putting everything into account. She looked back at all the times she was with Zaze. She didn't have these feelings before. It only started recently, and the catalyst was the dream she had. And that dream was triggered no doubt by her heat. So maybe, it was her heat.

"I think it's being caused by my heat."

Ember nodded. "Well, in that case then, there's no problem. It's not serious."

0 = 0 = 0

"You answered that it was your heat," Ember continued. "And you didn't get to ask him back at the Gala either. So now, with your heat not in full force, I'm going to ask you again. Do you have feelings for Zaze?"

Latis looked at the ground and stopped walking for a moment. She needed to gather her thoughts. Did she have feelings for Zaze? The feeling she had for him, whatever it was, was still there. Each time she thought about him, it always made her feel giddy. Each moment they shared, she treasured. Then it dawned on her, that Zaze was the only dragon she cared for the most. That was the main reason why she was training hard; to return the favor of him saving her life, and protect him from harm. She just only realized that her main motivation was actually romantic reasons.

"Latis?"

Hearing Ember's voice brought her back to reality. She turned to look at her, feeling she just overcame a hardship.

"Ember…I do." Ember smiled at her, glad that her friend FINALLY admitted it to herself. "I do have feelings for Zaze. I can only hope he does as well."

0

"I don't," Zaze answered.

Alyssa gave him a flat stare. "Then why do you have a hangover?"

Zaze smiled sheepishly. "I guess I got kind of got carried away last night."

"Understandable. I'm surprised you came to me though."

"Huh?"

The healer walked over to one of the cabinets and began rummaging for the appropriate medication. "Latis' is an apprentice of mine. You could have asked her for some medicine for that headache of yours."

Zaze didn't answer, but instead just shrugged. Noticing the lack of response, Alyssa asked him, "Did you two have a fight or something?"

"W-what made you ask that?"

Now this really got her attention. Zaze was stuttering. Zaze was never one to stutter. Something must have happened.

"Okay, what happened?" she asked, turning around to face her. In her paws was the medication for Zaze's headache. He tried to reach for it, but Alyssa pulled it away from him.

"No," she said sternly. "Tell me what happened first."

"What?" Zaze said, looking at her incredulously. "Nothing happened. What are you talking about?"

Alyssa looked at him, and then finally decided to hand over the medicine. Zaze gratefully took the medicine and drank it. The taste felt odd, but immediately he noticed the effects. His overall feeling felt a lot better as pain began to ebb way. He breathed a sigh of relief as he finally felt comfort.

"Better?" Alyssa asked.

"Much better; thanks Alyssa."

"You're welcome."

And with that, the healer left him to attend to her duties. Zaze wasn't the only one with a headache that reported into the infirmary. Other dragons were there, groaning in pain, much like him. He quietly excused himself, as Alyssa attended to the other dragons. Walking outside, he could finally think clearly again. The headache was gone, so he was free to indulge again in his thoughts. And as he did so, one thing bothered him; it was last night. Immediately, the smile on his face disappeared and was left with a concerned look. He was so deep in thought, he didn't notice someone walking in front of him.

"Oof!"

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

The dragoness—Zaze could tell from the voice—helped him up. "I'm fine. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"I wasn't either," she replied.

Zaze looked up and that was when he recognized who he bumped into. It was that dragoness from the other day. The one Cyril was talking too; the one that was looking for Terrador. This time, he managed to get a good look at her. She had bright blue eyes, beige colored underbelly, slightly dark yellow scales, a somewhat curvy but plump figure, and her horns were slightly curved back and her tail spade was in the shape of a lightning bolt; a fine adult electric dragoness.

"Say, can you help me? You look like the helpful type."

Zaze smiled. That was an understatement. "I try to be. What is it?"

"Can you direct me to where the Guardians' Room is? I'm looking for someone."

"Terrador, right?" Zaze asked.

The dragoness blinked. "How did you—"

"I saw you, yesterday. You were talking to Cyril."

"I see. Well, in any case, can you?"

"Sure. Follow me."

The dragoness chuckled as they walked. "What is it?"

"Here I am, asking someone for help when I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Decibele, nice to meet you…"

"Zaze; nice to meet you too, Decibele."

His curiosity getting the better of him, he braved himself to ask her, "So…why are you looking for Terrador?" He wondered briefly if he was getting too nosy.

"It's something rather private."

Maybe he was.

"Hey, Zaze?"

"Yes?"

"Are you close?"

"What do you mean?"

"Close to Terrador, I mean."

Zaze thought for a moment. If she had asked if he was close to Volteer, then it was a relative yes. But Terrador? "Hmm…not really."

"I see."

"What made you ask that?"

"I saw you two yesterday; at the balcony talking to each other. Terrador talking to someone is a relatively rare sight."

Zaze decided to use this opportunity to try and get some more information. "You seem to know a lot about him."

"I do. He wasn't always like that though."

The two rounded around the corner, and sadly, Zaze's chances of fishing for information was over. He gently knocked on the door.

"Coming." At the sound of the voice, Decibele immediately perked up. It was Terrador's. The door creaked open, and standing at the doorway was the Earth Guardian.

"Oh, Zaze, what is it do you…" His tone changed when he happened to see the dragoness standing beside the electric dragon. "…want?"

"She said she was looking for you," Zaze answered.

Terrador's expression was unfathomable. The practiced stoic face he always bore. "You may go now. Thank you," he answered, not looking at him and instead locking eyes with the dragoness.

Sensing the rather tense atmosphere that could have been cut with a butter knife, Zaze followed him obediently. With wary eyes, he excused himself. But the curiosity of the dragon was getting the better of him. As soon as he rounded around the corner, he pressed himself against the wall and listened in. He was basically eavesdropping.

"What do you want?" Terrador asked darkly.

"I came here to apologize."

"Apologize; about what? What you and your friends did?"

"'Your' friends? What are you talking about Terry? They were your friends too! We're all friends!"

"Don't call me that," he replied sternly. "And I never had any friends."

"But Terry—"

"I SAID DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

Zaze's spine shook. He had never heard Terrador shout before, and now that he did, it was terrifying.

"YOU WERE NOTHING BUT A NUISANCE TO ME. ALL OF YOU! I NEVER HAD ANY FRIENDS," he shouted. "AND EVEN IF I DID, I WOULD NEVER EVER HAVE YOU AS A FRIEND."

And with that loud outburst, Zaze heard the door slam shut.

He carefully peaked from the corner, and saw Decibele standing there, in shock, tears running down her face.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**And thus, begins the Terrador Social Arc. Better prepare yourselves, my dear readers, cause this is one is going to be a doozy. It'll definitely change your perspective on the quiet Earth Guardian.**

**Credit where it's due, I would to announce that the main idea for this social arc did not come from me, but from a reader of mine at DA named "Sicarius19". Without him, this social arc wouldn't be possible. So yeah. Kudos to this guy, he truly deserves it!**

* * *

**Please take some time to R&R.**

**And favorite it, along with the author!**

**The OC "Pyrus" belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.**

**The OCs "Manuel" and "Alyssa" belong to SpyroonEarth.**

**The OCs "Decibele" belongs to Sicarius19**


End file.
